L A Supernatural
by Kinikia
Summary: Castiel 'borrows' the NCIS L.A. teams (Kensi & Deeks, Callen & Sam) to help Dean & Sam with a case involving ancient gods and Leviathan. Please review! I love to hear what you think.
1. Chapter 1 - Abducted

**This story takes place shortly before the end of Season 4 of NCIS Los Angeles (pre-Parley) and roughly mid-Season 8 of Supernatural. So Castiel is out of Purgatory, but still under Naomi's influence. Sam has not yet begun the Hell's Gate trials. Kensi has yet to acknowledge her attraction to Deeks, even to herself.**

**Thank you, everyone who has posted a review. I am new to writing, and I really appreciate the feedback.**

**If you enjoy this story, please check out my other work: Please Be Okay, Densi Kiss 2 (NCIS L.A.)**

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Really, I wish only to pay homage to the amazing men and women who have created these wonderful worlds and characters for us all to enjoy. And, of course, to visit and play in those worlds, for just a little while. :-)**

* * *

Deeks and Kensi sat in his car, keeping watch on the seedy motel where their suspects were holed up. As so often happened on long stakeouts, their conversation was moving into deeper territory...

'When you let yourself love someone, that's when fear gets control of you,' Kensi argued.

'What? Where do you get that?' Deeks asked, then slurped at his drink. He did it deliberately, knowing the noise bugged her.

'Because then you've made that person essential, you need them in your life. And because there's always a threat that they will be taken away from you, you live in a state of fear.'

'You are out of your mind. Love is great! Everybody wants it. It's supposed to be liberating, not strangulating!'

'Is that a word?'

'Don't deflect. You'd avoid love, to avoid fear?' He tsked, and shook his head mournfully. 'I thought you were more courageous than that.'

'I didn't say that. But, it's certainly a consideration.'

'If you don't love because of fear, then hasn't fear already won?'

'An astute observation,' came a deep voice from the back seat.

'Gah!', Deeks yelled, and spilled what was left of his drink all down his front. But, even with ice and soda pooled in his lap, he had his gun out and pointed at the stranger almost as quickly as Kensi.

'Who are you, and how did you get into the car without us noticing?', Kensi demanded.

The man in the suit, blue tie, and beige trench coat stared back at them blandly. 'I am Castiel. Your assistance is required.'

Then there was a weird flapping sound, and suddenly the backseat was empty. They looked wildly around, then burst out of the car as they realized - they weren't anywhere near where they'd been a moment ago. They stood beside the car, gazing in open-mouthed disbelief at the empty stretch of road surrounded by open fields.

'What. The. _Fuck_?', Deeks breathed.

'Where are hell are we?', Kensi asked. She turned slowly in place, searching for some sign that would give her a clue as to what had just happened.

Just then, a ways up the road, a car appeared out of nowhere, swerved wildly, then braked hard. It came to a screeching stop mere feet away. Immediately, Sam and Callen jumped from the car, looking as shocked and alarmed as they'd been. Seeing Deeks and Kensi, they fired questions at them.

'What the hell? What is going on?', Callen demanded.

'How did we get here?', Sam asked.

'We don't know any more than you do,' Deeks said. 'Except, was there a guy?'

'What do you mean, what guy?' Callen was turning, looking all about as Kensi had done. 'Sam was giving me a lift home, we were on the freeway, then suddenly, we were here.'

'Some guy just showed up in our back seat,' Kensi told them. 'And I mean out of nowhere, the car doors never opened.'

'He had a weird name, Castiel? He said something about needing assistance, and then we were here and he wasn't,' Deeks continued.

'Castiel? What is that, like a biblical name?', Callen asked.

'So, not a genie then,' Sam commented dryly.

Her brain finally kicking into gear, Kensi got out her phone and tried to contact Ops. To her surprise, she got a message stating that the number she had dialed was not in service. She tried the personal numbers of Eric, Nell, and even Hetty, but had no better luck.

'Guys, can you reach anyone?', she asked.

The others all got out their phones, and went through the same process. Deeks tried to reach his superiors at the LAPD, then some of the people who knew him by one of his cover identities, but got nowhere. If a number worked, it led only to pizza joints, dry cleaners, or mini-marts.

Callen tried calling information, asking to be connected to people directly. He grew considerably more concerned when the names he gave were not found in their database.

Sam hadn't any more success contacting the D.C. NCIS headquarters. Then he heard something that drew his attention away from the phone.

'Heads up,' Sam warned. 'Company.'

A car was approaching from the opposite direction, its powerful engine rumbling. They all put away their phones, and hands hovered near guns, instead. The dark, older model car slowed as it neared them, and they could see that it held two men.

The car pulled to the side of the road, and parked a cautious distance away. The doors squealed slightly as the men got out. They held their hands well out and away from their sides, broadcasting non-aggression.

'Hello,' the shorter of the two called, the one who'd been driving. 'No need to be nervous, okay? We're friends.'

'Identify yourselves!', Sam demanded.

'I'm Dean Winchester, and that's my brother Sam', the guy said. 'I believe you've met a friend of ours, Castiel?'

Kensi took a step forward, 'Is he responsible for bringing us here?'

'Kinda, yeah. It's a little hard to explain.'

'We've got no place else to be, so do go on,' Callen said with considerable sarcasm.

'How about we move this confab someplace a little more comfortable?', Dean suggested. 'There's a halfway decent bar in the next town.'

'The next town, where? Where are we?'

'You're just past the border, about 20 minutes from Lamar. Colorado.'

Deeks looked back along the road behind them, and realizing where they were, began to laugh helplessly. When Kensi raised an eyebrow at him, he said, 'Not in Kansas anymore!'


	2. Chapter 2 - Explanations

After cursory introductions, they'd found a table in the back of the bar and ordered drinks. Dean had also ordered a large pastrami sandwich, which he bit into with a moan of pleasure. 'Sure you guys don't want to try one of these? They're terrific.'

'Enough already,' Sam growled, out of patience. 'We've played along. Now, make with the explanations.'

Dean's mouth being full, the other Sam took on the challenge. 'Well, it's like this. Castiel, um, well, he's special. He has, you could say, powers.'

'What do you mean, powers?', Callen asked.

'He's whammied us before; teleportation, time travel, that sort of thing. We've dimension jumped too, though that time it wasn't Cas, and I think there was a spell involved. At any rate, I believe that's what happened to you. He's pulled you out of your world, and into ours.'

'Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa!', Callen put up his hands to stop Sam. 'We're not here for the sci-fi convention, we want to know how we ended up in Colorado. Did we lose time because we were drugged?'

Sam blew out a breath. He knew his chances of convincing these people were slim, at best. 'Look, Cas didn't tell us why he brought you here. He showed up just long enough to tell us where to find you, and that you belong to an alternate Earth.'

'Alternate Earth, riiiight,' Deeks put in. 'Next you'll be telling us we have to save the planet, or the princess, or...'

Sam stopped him, 'I get it, okay? It sounds crazy. Hell, I don't believe what goes on half the time, and it's pretty much all I've ever known.' He spread his hands helplessly. 'But, mumbo jumbo or not, this is the only explanation I've got to give you. Do you want to hear the rest of it?'

Kensi leaned back, and crossed her arms. 'Let him talk. Let's see just how tall this tale he's spinning really is. Then we can kick his ass for lying to us.'

Her team members likewise leaned back, and Callen gestured for him to go on. 'Okay, you've got rope, try not to hang yourself.'

'Let me try another tack,' Sam said. 'Do you believe in heaven and hell?'

Deeks groaned, 'We're gonna get all religulous now?'

Sam leaned forward, 'No, seriously. I don't know what it's like where you're from, but here, the spiritual and the supernatural, they're all too real.' He took a deep breath. 'Castiel is an angel.'

The two NCIS teams broke out laughing. 'Well, that explains the name,' said Callen.

'And the flappity-flap,' said Deeks wryly.

Sam stared at Deeks, seemingly struck by what he'd said. 'F-flappity-flap?' Then he was the one roaring with laughter. Dean was choking on his sandwich too, equally amused.

Grinning, Deeks asked,'Isn't it sacrilegious to laugh at your celestial representatives?'

'Oh man, you just gotta laugh,' Dean said. 'It's the only thing that'll keep you sane.'

'So, how do you two rate your own personal angel? Or does everyone get one, around here?', Callen asked sarcastically.

Sam and Dean exchanged a look, knowing this line of questioning was not going to help their cause. 'We're something of a special case,' Dean said. 'Long, long story.'

'And Castiel is not your average angel,' Sam continued. 'He's something of a rogue element.'

'A rogue angel, is that anything like a fallen angel?', Deeks asked.

Sam cleared his throat, 'It's complicated. Let's just say he's unconventional.' Dean rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. 'He's also what you could call enigmatic. We don't know what's going on with him, more often than not.'

'And I suppose this is one of those 'not' cases?', Callen said dryly.

'Fraid so,' Dean said. 'He just dropped you in our lap, like little lost pups.'

'We are not lost, and we are far from helpless,' put in Sam, who was still leaning back, arms crossed over his chest. 'What's to stop us from just getting in our cars, and driving back to L.A.?'

'Not a damn thing,' said Dean. 'But I'm guessing you haven't been able to reach anybody you know on the phone, am I right?'

'So? All that tells us is that you're somehow messing with our equipment,' Kensi commented.

'Try the land line, feel free. Get on the internet, check information, hell, check Google Earth. If you can find anything or anyone you recognize, by all means, go check it out. We'll give you a number you can reach us at, when you figure out that we're the only people here you know.'

'No offense, but we don't know you,' Sam said in a surly tone.

'Ookay,' Callen intervened, before things got ugly. 'Why don't we call it a night? Let's get a couple of rooms, and do as you suggest. We'll try to reach our people, and if nothing comes of it, we'll pick this up over breakfast. That work for you?'

'Sure, sure.' Dean took out a pen, and scribbled an address on a bar napkin. 'Here's where we're staying. You could try there, or find your own accommodations, it's up to you.' He added a phone number. 'Call us when you're ready to face the new reality.'


	3. Chapter 3 - Taking Stock

They went to the local Holiday Inn, where Callen rented them a small suite with four beds. He wanted to keep all of his people close, until they got a handle on this otherworldly situation. It wasn't until the clerk handed him the key cards, and said, 'Enjoy your stay, Mr. Collins,' that he realized that there was something amiss with his credit card. It had passed the credit check, so the account was active, but apparently it was not in his name. He said nothing, but put finances on the ever-growing list of things to check up on. They could be in more trouble than he'd realized.

As soon as they reached the room, he handed out assignments. 'Sam, get on the computer, check our profiles, find out if we have access to any of our resources. My credit card came up registered to someone else, so take nothing for granted. Kensi, take an inventory. I want to know how much cash we have on hand, as well as weapons, ammo, clothing, everything we've got. Deeks, help her with that. When you go to the cars, go together. From now on, no one is alone until we know what we're dealing with here. Clear?' When they nodded grim agreement, he said, 'Alright, get on it.' He got out his phone, and prepared to try again to reach someone, anyone, who knew his name. He felt a corner of his mouth quirk at the irony of that thought.

An hour later, Kensi had stuff strewn over two of the beds, and pocket items littered the small table. 'Deeks and I were on stakeout, so we have two earbuds and mikes. We were in his car, so he has a go-bag, but I don't. Between us, we have only $62.45 in cash. Deeks has a pre-paid credit card for emergencies, with $1,000 on it.' She sent a look of approval his way, and he felt a small surge of pride.

'Aside from some Tootsie pops in the glove compartment of Sam's car, we have no food. Callen, since you were taking clothes home to launder, both you and Sam also have go-bags available. Your cash added up to $179.38, giving us a grand total of $241.83. We each have our personal weapons, with two extra clips apiece. Sam also has a shotgun in his trunk, with 3 boxes of shells. We have our phones, which seem to be working, but…', she looked a question at Sam.

He continued in a somber tone, 'They're not 'our' phones, at least the accounts aren't. We have to be prepared for the owners to cancel them at any time, if they notice our activity; the same goes for our credit cards. Our IDs might as well be fakes, because we have nothing to back them up. None of us exist online, as far as I've been able to determine. There's a Samuel Hanna in Minnesota, but he's 86 years old and a resident of a nursing home. We've got to figure that we have no access to bank accounts or any other personal or professional resources. We're cut off and on our own.'

'How is this happening?', Kensi asked quietly. 'It can't all be the doing of those two guys we met earlier, or the one in our car. I'm not buying their crazy story, but I don't know what the hell is really going on.' She sat heavily on one of the beds, and Deeks sat down beside her, not touching, but supportively close. She had to fight off an urge to lean into him.

Callen paced as best he could in the limited space available. 'I'm not buying it either, but I don't have any answers. I've never even heard of a situation like this; if you'd asked me yesterday, I'd have said it wasn't possible. I suppose this could all be some kind of dream or hallucination, but as long as it behaves like reality, I don't see that we have a choice but to treat it as such.'

Sam asked the question that was on everyone's mind, 'How do we get back home?'

No one had an answer to that, but Deeks posed the next most obvious question, 'Should we drive back to L.A.? Check our homes, Ops?' He felt a pang go through him at the thought of Monty. Kensi, sensing it, slanted him a sympathetic look. He knew that when they went missing Hetty would arrange for the dog's care, but he couldn't help but worry. If they were experiencing titanic weirdness, who knew what was going on back home?

'Let's make that plan B, for now,' Callen said. 'I want to talk to those guys again, try to get some real answers out of them. They know more than they're letting on. For now, let's get this stuff put away and get some rest.'

'I have a t-shirt you can sleep in,' Deeks offered Kensi. The button-up fitted shirt she had on wouldn't have been comfortable for that.

She'd been feeling the lack of her go-bag, and was grateful. 'Thanks, Deeks.' Now, if only she had a toothbrush!

'We'll hit up a WalMart or something tomorrow, get the basics,' Callen assured her. 'We're just going to take this one step at a time, treat it like a survival exercise.'

'Hooyah', said Sam.

* * *

The next morning, Deeks trailed along behind Kensi, pushing the cart as she shopped for clothes. He kept up a running commentary on her choices, 'Hey, you'd look great in that. No, I like the blue one better. You know, you need to find some sexy little number. What if we need to distract a perp?'

She rolled her eyes. 'What perp, Deeks? We're not on the job right now.'

'Those two guys are perps, until I decide otherwise,' he muttered. But, he didn't want her dressing sexy for them. 'Then again, it can get cold in this part of the world. Where's the flannel section?'

'That's true, remind me to pick up a jacket,' she commented. But first, she needed underwear. She groaned to herself. Wasn't this going to be fun, with Deeks and his mouth along for the ride? Then again, a mischievous little thought popped up, perhaps she could mess with him for a change.

'Come on, Deeks. I need a new bra.' She led the way to the lingerie section, noting that he'd gulped and shut up, at least for a minute. She wound her way through the racks, deliberately making sexier choices than her usual. She tossed a red silk teddy into the cart, and a lacy black bra. He remained uncharacteristically quiet, eyeing the filmy bits of female adornment, his imagination no doubt working overtime. Stopping at the change rooms, she gathered up several items, 'Wait here, I won't be long.'

'Take your time,' he replied, his voice a little raspier than usual. He blew out a breath and shifted uncomfortably, then turned to scan the store for any suspicious activity. He so did not need to be visualizing what she was doing right now. It was bad enough that he was going to be wondering which of those sexy little items she had on under her clothes, every day. God help him.

In the privacy of the changing room, Kensi smiled; baiting Deeks had turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable. She snorted quietly. Men were so easy! What she failed to notice was that, while she'd been amused by teasing men before, this time it was also making her glowingly happy.

When she emerged, she found that Sam and Callen had joined Deeks. They'd picked up some extra clothing as well, since they didn't know how long it would be before they got home. Sam tossed a few items at Deeks, and told him to go try them on. She put the ones she'd tried back in the cart, and picked up the rest. Sam eyed her choices, raised an eyebrow, and gave her an amused look. She put a haughty, I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about look on her face, and escaped back into the ladies section.

After that, they shopped for everything else they thought they might need, from toiletries to disposable lighters for each of them. Kensi had insisted on those. Not only had she been raised right, she'd seen The Fifth Element. You never knew when the ability to make fire could mean the difference between life and death.

It was all going to add up to quite a bill, and Callen said, 'I'll put this on my card, then I'll get rid of it. I'm not happy about perpetrating credit card fraud, but the bank will cover the charges, and we don't have a lot of options right now. If we can find a way to make it right, we will.' Kensi held her breath when the store ran the card, but it hadn't been cancelled yet, and they were in the clear.

By this time, it was nearly noon, and they'd arranged to meet the Winchester brothers for lunch. Callen seemed to think he could get them to 'fess up, and reveal how they'd turned all their lives upside down. Kensi wasn't so sure. They struck her as the type who believed their own bullshit. Perhaps they were actually insane, escaped from some asylum somewhere? It was no more unlikely than their crazy story. Angels kidnapping people, spiriting them away to alternate realities. Seriously?


	4. Chapter 4 - Crowley

As it happened, they never got a chance to find out if Callen could have persuaded the Winchesters to tell a different story. For, not long after they all sat down to a meal, they found themselves even further down the rabbit hole.

They'd already learned that there wasn't much point in trying to talk to Dean while he was eating, so it was surprising to see him suddenly lose all interest in his burger. They followed his riveted gaze to see a middle-aged man standing between and behind Sam and Deeks. No one had seen him approach. Dean's brother had also straightened in his chair, and looked ready for anything.

'Well, well, what have we here,' the stranger said in an English accent. 'KC, Double D, and my two Sams. How very cozy.'

'Crowley,' Dean growled. 'What are you doing here?'

'Él sabe quiénes somos,' Callen said in Spanish, hoping to converse covertly with his team. '¿Eres capaz de decirme si está solo?' [He knows who we are. Can you tell if he's alone?]

Kensi replied in the same language, 'No veo a nadie con él.' [I don't see anyone with him.]

'Oh, look,' Crowley said with sardonic delight and a single clap of his hands. 'The Bizarro Moose and Squirrel set comes complete with a Boris and Natasha. Or would that be Lobo and Natalia, from the Spanish edition?'

Callen switched back to English, 'You seem to have us at a disadvantage. You are?'

Dean spoke first, 'He's a douchebag crossroads demon with delusions of grandeur.'

Crowley put a hand to his heart, 'Excuse me! King of Hell, if you please.'

Deeks put in, puzzled, 'The devil has an English accent?'

Crowley sighed with exasperation, 'Squirrels, such annoying little rodents. No, the big boss is taking a time-out, and I magnanimously stepped in to prevent the place completely falling to pieces due to the resulting power vacuum. But,' he said, meeting gazes around the table, 'you can rest assured that you are dealing with the reigning prince of evil.'

Kensi looked skeptical, 'Aren't you a little short for a sovereign tyrant?' Deeks grinned at her in appreciation. He was so rubbing off on her.

'What do you want, Crowley?', Dean asked him quickly, before he popped a gasket.

'What I _want_ is to never have to deal with cretins, but it is my sad lot to be eternally saddled with them.' He began to pace slowly around the table, looking over the NCIS teams like they were horses he was thinking of buying. 'So, this is what Castiel picked as our best option. Hmph, not sure I see it, frankly.'

'You've been talking to Cas?', Sam asked. 'You know why he brought them here?'

'Why _we_ brought them here, dear Moose. You don't think Castiel has the juice to pull this off on his own, do you? He's probably still comatose from the effort.'

'You're in this together?', Dean asked. Oh, he didn't like this at all. The last time Castiel and Crowley had cooked up a plan, it had gone very, very badly for everyone involved.

'Believe me, after the last time he fucked me over, the last thing I wanted was to make any more deals with that angelic asshole. But I'm over a barrel here. Getting rid of Roman should have made the mop-up of the remaining Leviathan a snap, but a few of them banded together, and they're making a new power play. They're going old school, appealing to an ancient goddess to intervene on their behalf.'

'What goddess, and why would she listen to them?', Sam asked.

'Hecate, and they haven't gotten through to her yet. But she definitely has the power to grant them what they want, and if they can get her attention, and ask in the right way, she just might give it to them. They've gotten their hands on an artifact, a small statue, and if they can activate it, she'll respond.'

'What do they have to do to activate it?', Sam asked.

'Isn't that the one the witches worship?', Dean said at the same time.

'She's been around long enough to have been called the Mother of Lucifer as well as the Mother of Angels. She's generally classified as a moon goddess, but she is also known as the Goddess of the Underworld and is the Keeper of the Keys to that realm.'

Deeks looked fascinated, 'The Keymaster, no shit?'

'What that _means_,' Crowley gritted out, 'is that she has the power to put the monsters back into Purgatory, or to let them out. She can also send you lot back home, so you might want to pay attention.'

'What about the artifact?', Sam reiterated.

'It depicts the three-fold form of Hecate, three women standing with their backs to one another. Each woman has the head of an animal: a dog, a snake, or a lion. Each holds a torch, as well as one other object: a key, a knife, or a rope. Hecate is also the Goddess of Crossroads, so the artifact must be taken to one with three branching roads.'

'Oh, of course,' groaned Dean.

'Once there, you need six people, humans, to activate it. They must stand in pairs around the statue, and simultaneously grasp the objects Hecate is holding. They will be given visions, and required to make some kind of choice. Hecate will judge the quality of the offering, and respond accordingly.'

'Doesn't sound so complicated,' Sam said. 'What's keeping this group that's got it from using it?'

'Timing, for one thing. Their best bet for performing the ritual is on one of her sacred days. Both August 13th and November 30th are a ways off, but at the very least it should be at midnight, on the night of a new moon. The next one is in about a week.'

'And the other reason?'

'They're having some trouble finding suitable candidates; that's nothing that need concern you. What you have to worry about is getting this artifact away from them, before time runs out.' He tossed a key and a piece of paper with an address on it down in front of Dean. 'I've provided you with a captive, and a private space. Take the newbs over there, get them broken in, or they'll never survive.'

'And why should we help you?', Dean wanted to know.

'This is as much Castiel's mess as it is mine. It's in everyone's best interest to keep those Leviathan assholes pent up in Purgatory, but I can't get anywhere near the artifact. Neither can Castiel. The Leviathan have it locked away in a place warded against demons and angels alike. They've also got their stronghold rigged to detect any human lifeform that enters it.'

'So, how are we supposed to be able to get in, then?'

'You two are a special case,' he told Dean and Sam. 'You've both died, spent time in both the pit and up above, and have then been resurrected.' This got them some very strange looks from their tablemates. 'That's changed the frequency on which you resonate, you won't set off the alarms. Similarly,' Crowley looked over the others, 'you lot, being from another dimension entirely, can also ghost right on through. That's why we've brought you here. You want to go home again, you have to finish the mission.'

'What gives you the right to...,' Callen began, but Crowley cut him off.

'Hey! I've been having a very tough year, and I don't want to hear it! You can do as you're told, or you can stay stuck here for all eternity. I will happily welcome you down below when you shuffle off this mortal coil, got it? So suck it up, sunshine, and figure it out.' With that, Crowley just disappeared.

Unsurprised, Sam and Dean stayed seated while the others surged to their feet, looking wildly around to see where he'd gone. When they'd settled back into their chairs, Dean asked, 'So, you in?'

'Do we have a choice?', asked Callen sourly.


	5. Chapter 5 - Initiation

**Warning: horror violence - skip it if you're squeamish**

**Hey, we're dealing with Leviathan here. It's got to get nasty, right? **

**And yes, I know, I've taken a few liberties with them. Just go with it, okay? **

* * *

The address Crowley had given them turned out to be a warehouse, located in a quiet rural area, far from any neighboring buildings. They entered cautiously, but found it empty but for one man, who was helpless, bound to a chair. And it was no ordinary chair, being made of a heavy-duty metal and bolted to the floor. It looked like the kind of thing you'd use to restrain a dangerous mental patient.

Sam and Dean, trailed by the NCIS teams, approached the man. He glared at them balefully, but being a rather small and scrawny specimen, barely into his 20's by the looks of him, he failed to impress anyone.

There was no furniture in the large open space, except for the chair holding the prisoner and a workbench beside it which held a wide variety of weaponry. Dean looked over the available options, picked up an opaque white spray bottle, then stood beside the bound man.

'So, what's your name?', he asked.

'Davey,' the kid muttered.

'Well, Davey,' Dean went on, 'I'm afraid it's really not your day.' He turned his attention to Callen, Sam, Deeks, and Kensi. 'Okay, listen up. This is gonna be a crash course in how to survive against one of the biggest of the bads.' He waved a hand in Davey's direction.

'Who, him?', snorted Sam. 'He's not even an itty, bitty bad.'

'Watch and learn, my over-confident friend,' Dean stated, then raised the bottle in his hand and liberally spritzed the guy. Shock froze the two teams as the captive man screamed in panic and pain. Greasy black and yellow smoke rose up as his skin was eaten away, wherever the liquid came in contact with it.

'Jesus Christ!', Deeks yelled. 'What's _in_ that, acid?' He took a quick step forward with the intention of knocking Dean away from the helpless man.

'Chill, dude,' Dean said. 'It's just soap.' He sprayed some of it at Deeks, who recoiled violently, then brushed frantically at the few drops that landed on his arm.

When he straightened, puzzled by the lack of sizzling flesh, Kensi broke out in a fit of giggles. 'Oh my god, the look on your face!' He glared, and she laughed harder, until she was doubled over with it, tears in her eyes. The thought occurred that she was perhaps just a tad hysterical, but it felt great to release some tension. And seeing him dodge like that, it had been just so funny! The memory set her off again.

Deeks did his best to ignore his mirthful partner, and reapproached the bound man. He examined the skin that had been so damaged moments before, and found it perfectly healthy. 'What the hell? Was it some kind of trick? This guy's fine.'

'That's what we're here to show you. They're not human, and they don't stay hurt. They do have a rather severe allergic reaction to Borax, but even then, the effect is temporary. Check this out.' Dean took out a big damned knife, and Deeks warily stepped back. Ruthlessly, Dean sliced off one of the man's fingers. Kensi abruptly stopped laughing, and started working hard at not throwing up, instead.

Deeks, who'd been about to yell at Dean again, stopped short when he realized that the man was bleeding black, not red.

'See this?', Dean asked, holding up the severed finger. 'Watch.' He held it close to the stump, and tendrils of black goo suddenly arched out, grabbed the finger from Dean's hand, and then it was suddenly, somehow, reattached. There wasn't even a line to show where the injury had been.

'Okay, now I know it's a trick.' Deeks asserted. 'I gotta give it to you, you're really good. You had me totally convinced for a second there. Thanks for the nightmares, by the way.'

Dean sighed. But hey, it had always been going to get graphic. 'You think that was impressive? Well, brace yourself.' He put away the knife, and picked up a machete from the workbench. Without even a moment's hesitation, with one swing, he cut the man's head clean off.

Now Deeks did yell, and he jumped back. He had his gun out and pointed at Dean before he'd even managed to formulate a coherent thought about what had just happened. Behind him, Kensi, Callen, and Sam had Dean in their sights as well.

Dean let the machete fall, held his hands up, and said, 'Everybody relax.' He took a slow step around the body, to where the head had fallen, then bent and picked it up. 'Say hello, Yorick.'

The head frowned at Dean, and mouthed, 'Screw you.'

Deeks felt his arms sag as astonishment loosened his muscles. This was so not happening, he thought. Then Dean, with an evil grin, tossed the head at him. Deeks actually dropped his gun as he fumbled to catch it. Then he dropped the head when it morphed into something that was mostly teeth, and tried to bite him. Completely weirded out, he quickly backed away several steps, staring down in disgusted fascination at what was once more a human head.

'See, these guys can heal any degree of damage, as long as the various parts can reach each other.' Dean picked the head up by the hair, and dangled it over the neck. When the black tendrils reached up, he pulled the head further away, and they sank back into the body. 'We dropped a car on one once, reduced him to so much goo, and once he'd oozed out from under, he just regenerated. They're like Terminators, they just keep coming.' Dean lowered the head again, and this time allowed it to reattach. 'The only way we've found to put one out of commission, is to separate the head from the body, and keep it that way. And I do mean well away; it'll slip 'n slime its way back, given the opportunity.'

'What are they?', Deeks asked in a small, sick voice. He scrubbed his hands along his jeans-clad thighs, desperate to erase the sensation of touching that, that _thing_.

'They're known as Leviathan,' Sam chimed in. 'They're primordial, predating even demons. It's believed that they were consigned to Purgatory, because they were eating anything and everything else in existence.'

'But they're out now?', asked Callen, going along with the insanity for lack of better options.

'Well, long story, but some did manage to escape; we're not sure how many. We've done our best to hunt them down, but they can imitate anyone whose DNA they've sampled, so they're not easy to detect. They have a hard time controlling their hunger though, so it's usually their eating habits that give them away. Anytime an area has a sudden surge in the number of missing people, we get suspicious. Humans are their preferred food source. Apparently, we're just yummy.'

'How is it that you guys keep getting involved in the worst long stories?'

Dean shrugged, 'It's just what we do.' He looked down at Deeks, who'd crouched and stretched forward from a cautious distance to retrieve his gun. 'Ready to continue with the training?'

'What does that entail, exactly?', Deeks asked, a little worried.

'I'm a big believer in the dumped-in-the-deep-end method, when time is an issue,' Dean said. With that, he hit a lever on the back of the chair which released the metal restraints at the wrists and ankles of the prisoner. Then he and Sam stepped back, leaving the newly freed Davey facing the NCIS teams.

'Remember,' Dean spoke in a lecturing tone, 'these guys like to bite, so grappling is not the best idea.' Davey was eyeing the door beyond the four 'trainees'. 'Don't let him get away, now. Watch it, they can be fast.'

Davey narrowed his eyes at Dean, then made a break to the left, intending to make an end run around the back of the teams. He was quick, and got past Deeks and Kensi, but Sam stepped into his path and put a hand to his chest to stop him. Davey looked down at the arresting arm, then sneered in contempt, knocked it aside with casual ease, and sent Sam himself flying across the room.

Davey stalked toward Callen, who was the only one now between him and freedom. Callen, though shocked, had reacted like the pro he was, and had his gun out and pointed at what he now considered a credible threat. 'Stop right there,' he warned, 'I don't want to have to shoot you.'

Davey laughed, and just kept coming. Callen shifted his target zone from the heart to the legs, and shot the man in the left knee. Davey stumbled, but immediately righted himself and continued without pause. Callen brought his sights back up, and shot the man twice in the chest. A couple of black splotches slowed on his shirt, but he didn't even hesitate.

Callen began to retreat as Davey got closer, then he put a bullet in young man's head, right between the eyes. Davey's head rocked back, and a spray of black blood burst from the exit wound. He stopped for a moment, then his head came back down and his eyes met Callen's with predatory intent. The bullet holes immediately closed over, and Davey began to advance again. Callen called out, 'A little help, here!'

Kensi came up from behind, but at an angle so as to stay out of Callen's line of fire. She fired rapidly, hitting the man multiple times in the legs, hoping to cripple him. All she accomplished though, was to draw his attention. Moving far faster than she'd expected, he was suddenly right up on her. One hand grabbed her gun arm, immobilizing it, and the other took her by the throat and lifted her right off her feet. She choked, helpless and horrified, as the head once more deformed to reveal a forked tongue and the monstrous teeth.

'Kensi!', Deeks cried out, and was suddenly there with the machete he'd scooped off the floor. He swung hard, and cut off the arm that held Kensi suspended. Interposing his body between hers and its, he caught her as she fell back, his arm around her waist scooping her away from the monster. She tore the severed limb away from her throat and flung it aside, repulsed. Deeks kicked back, knocking the creature further away from them.

Sam, who'd recovered from his fall, was there to receive the reeling body. Keeping it off balance, he used its own momentum to help him slam it to the ground. He then applied the principle of control-the-head, control-the-body, and knelt with his full weight on the back of the man's neck. Callen tossed him a knife from the available arsenal, and Sam held it to Davey's throat, which finally caused him to stop struggling.

Dean slow-clapped and walked over, asking, 'Everybody okay?' His eyes on Sam and Davey, he was caught unprepared by the powerful roundhouse punch Deeks delivered straight to his jaw. Staggered, he glared at Deeks, 'Ow, dammit! Is that the thanks I get? I'm trying to save your life!'

'Could've fooled me,' growled Deeks, his adrenaline still surging from the threat to Kensi.

'All right, everyone calm down,' Callen broke in. 'I don't approve of your methods,' he told Dean, 'but you definitely made your point. Our training didn't cover these kinds of scenarios, and we need to learn from you. However,' and his voice hardened with command, 'I won't tolerate any more reckless, showboat tactics. You'll take us through the abilities and weaknesses of these creatures in a calm and reasoned fashion, and then we'll practice fighting them in a controlled and hopefully safe manner.'

'Understood,' Dean capitulated. 'If you'll put him back in the chair,' he told Sam, 'we can get started. It's gonna be a long day.'


	6. Chapter 6 - Training

**Warning: horror violence - skip it if you're squeamish**

* * *

By the end of that very long, very strange afternoon, Kensi had experienced a gamut of emotions. She'd started out with a sense of unreality, but when things had gotten physical, she'd been forced to deal. The sheer speed and strength of the thing they'd been training to fight had shocked and dismayed her. Determined to learn how to stop it, she'd paid close attention to all the wisdom the Winchesters had to impart, but it was discouraging to learn just how little was truly effective against the creature.

They'd each had to learn for themselves to be ruthless about hurting it. They didn't dare let it free for long, so she'd had to become, effectively, a torturer. She'd stood over what looked like a skinny, harmless, helpless kid, and had cut him, burned him, and ultimately, beheaded him. Again, and again, and again. Dean had pushed them relentlessly, keeping them at it until they got past the sickness and hesitation. He had an uncanny ability to tell when they were faking preparedness.

But the worst part, for all of them, had come when the monster pulled its Xerox trick. Deeks had been working on getting past his inhibitions about spraying the acid-like substance on it, when the black-bloodied, burnt man was suddenly replaced with a copy of... her. A clean, perfect copy, right down to the clothes she was wearing. Deeks didn't have time to stop the spraying motion he'd already initiated, and he looked ready to throw up when the Kensi-clone screamed and writhed as her flesh crisped and melted.

Deeks staggered back, and she, it, recovered quickly. It grinned at them, confident now that they would no longer have the guts to hurt it. Dean sighed, and explained, 'It got its hands on you, Kensi, and that was more than enough for it to be able to get a read on your DNA. All it takes, really, is the slightest brush of contact. Hell, you don't even have to be in the room. Sam and I were cloned once, from hair taken from a shower drain.'

The reasons why weren't really helping with the shock of seeing herself, seemingly bound and helpless, but sporting a malicious grin. It spoke to her, 'My, my. Haven't you led an interesting life?'

Kensi flashed an inquiring look at Dean, and he nodded. 'Yup, it now has access to all your thoughts, feelings, history, everything. If you have any secrets you want kept, I suggest you silence it, fast.' Alarm flared through Kensi at that, she most certainly did have privacy issues!

'Give me that,' she said to Dean, holding out a hand for the machete he currently had. As she took it her double looked worried, then looked beseechingly at Deeks and opened its mouth to speak. Before it could, she swung in a now-practiced motion, and 'her' head thudded to the floor at her feet.

'Excuse me,' Deeks said in a strangled voice. 'I really need some air.' He turned and walked, a little unsteadily, toward the door. She automatically took a step as if to follow, but Callen said, 'Give him a minute, Kens. That wasn't easy for any of us to see, but he's your partner. He's supposed to protect you.'

Her heart ached, but Callen was right. There wasn't anything she could do to help him cope, so she turned back to Dean. 'How do I keep it from copying me?'

'Pretty much all you can do, is convince it that it's a really, really bad idea,' Dean told her.

Kensi nodded grimly, and bent to pick up the head by the hair. She walked over to a bucket of soapy water that was waiting to be used, and crouched down by it. She took the head firmly in both hands, held it suspended over the milky liquid, and looked deep into her own eyes.

'You know me now, right?', she asked. It frowned at her, and she continued, 'Then you know that I will dunk you in this bucket until there's not enough left of your head to pour down the drain.' It just stared at her, and she began to lower her hands toward the water. Suddenly, she was holding Davey's head rather than her own. 'Good boy,' she told it, and rewarded it by lifting it out of immediate danger.

When Deeks returned, he no longer had any problems with meting out punishment to the captive. If anything, he seemed to be relishing it a little too much, but Kensi supposed she couldn't blame him. If it had copied him instead... She shuddered. Oh, she would have visited a world of hurt on the damned thing, you could count on that.

Eventually, they let it loose, and practiced fighting it in teams of two, four, and six. No one was expected to face it alone; no one was expected to survive that. Indeed, they were lucky to come away at the end of the day with only scrapes, bruises, and wounded pride. There would have been broken bones or worse, but the Winchesters had pulled their fat out of the fire more than once. They really were quite good at this. God, Kensi thought, what kind of life must they have had, to be so blasé about such horror?

A sharp ache sliced through her as she suddenly missed home more than she'd ever imagined possible. Home, where even her crazy life could be called normal and predictable; where people fell down and stayed dead when you shot them, stabbed them, took their freaking heads off. She took a few deep breaths, and tried to calm her racing heart. She absolutely refused to fall apart.

Deeks came up behind her, and sensing her mood as he always seemed to be able to do, laid warm hands on her shoulders, then began to massage away the aching tension there. 'Pretty freaky stuff, huh?', he asked quietly. 'Can't say I ever imagined having a day quite like this one.'

She laughed ruefully, 'Massive understatement, there. Not in my wildest dreams would I have come up with anything remotely like this.' She spoke in low tones then, meant only for his ears, 'What are we doing here, Deeks? How is this happening to us?'

His hands stilled, then turned her to face him so that he could look into her eyes. 'I don't know,' he said, giving her only truth. 'But we're alive, and together, and we're going to do everything in our power to get back home.'

She didn't know why, but just hearing him say it made her feel decidedly better. She rewarded him with a small smile, then put a hand to his chest as she leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

'You're right,' she said as she pulled back to stand straight with confidence once more. 'Besides, no one asked Hetty's permission to use her people, and she'd probably be considered a wrathful goddess in someone's pantheon. Angel-boy better watch his ass, if she ever gets anywhere near him.' Deeks laughed at the delightful image her words conjured up, and her own heart lightened from having succeeded in making him feel better, too.

Just then, there came a knock on the warehouse door. Kensi and Deeks stepped away from each other, their hands automatically reaching for their guns as they reacted with hypervigilance after the stress of the day. Dean glanced at them and made a calm-down gesture, but got his own gun out and held it alongside his leg as he cautiously answered the door.

There were two men outside, and their eyes briefly flashed black as a way of showing their credentials. 'We're here for the prisoner,' one said. 'Crowley has provided for proper disposal. You're to come back tomorrow, for further instructions.' Then they brushed past an unresisting Dean, and went to fetch the captive Leviathan. They used some kind of razor-wire noose to control it, so that they didn't have to carry out a body. Kensi could read on Dean's face that he was thinking, 'Huh, good idea,' as they marched it out past him.

When they were gone, the empty building suddenly seemed very quiet. Then Dean clapped his hands together and said, 'Right! Who's hungry?'

Getting out of there seemed like a fine idea, but Kensi wanted a shower far more than food at the moment. They didn't even have a place to stay lined up, and she was suddenly deeply wearied.

Sam saw Kensi brushing at a black stain on her shirt, and suggested, 'Why don't we all go back to our motel, and see if they've got any extra rooms. We'll need to freshen up before we can go out in public.'

'Better yet,' Dean said, 'let's order in, and see what else we can pull up on this Hecate chick. I don't like the way Crowley is holding all the cards on this one.'

Callen agreed with the plan, and they left the warehouse just as it was. Let the demons clean up the mess, for once.


	7. Chapter 7 - Research

After everyone had had a chance to clean up, they crowded into Sam and Dean's motel room, and enjoyed a little normalcy in the form of pizza and beer. Sam sat at the small table with his laptop open, researching the goddess Crowley had mentioned.

'Okay, there's a lot out there on Hecate,' he said, 'so figuring out what's real is going to be a challenge.' Kensi couldn't help but snort a small laugh at that - figuring out what was 'real' about a goddess - oh, life had gotten bizarre!

'Her name is pronounced Heh-Kah-Tay, but she also goes by a number of titles, such as Queen of the Night, Queen of Wisdom and Death, Goddess of Magic, Crossroads, and the Underworld. Some speculate that she started out as a Titan, but wasn't destroyed by Zeus because he was in love with her.'

'Statues of this goddess often depict her as three female figures, reflecting her power over heaven, earth, and the underworld; birth, life, and death. Wiccans revere her as maiden, mother, and crone. Obviously, the number 3 is sacred to her. At this website, she's described as standing at the crossroad of the underworld, where three roads meet, using her torch to direct souls to the proper realm: the Asphodel Meadows, Elysium, or Tartarus.'

'What about the Keymaster thing?', Deeks wanted to know.

'Okay, let me see.' Sam searched for a few minutes, then said, 'Here we go. "She bears the keys to the thresholds between worlds. No path is closed to her, through her all places are reachable."'

'So, she could get us home then?', Kensi asked.

'Good bet,' replied Sam, 'assuming you can interest her in helping you.'

'How do you do that?'

'I'm not sure. Crowley said something about visions, and choices. It's probably like a test of some sort, that's usually how these things work.'

'What about your angel friend? He brought us here, couldn't he take us back?'

'Not without Crowley's cooperation, apparently,' Dean groused. 'Which he's not gonna give, since he wants us performing like circus monkeys.'

'Come on, Dean,' Sam said. 'We're doing this to help Cas.'

'And that's the only reason I'm still involved.' Dean sent an apologetic glance toward the NCIS teams, 'No offense.'

'Oh no,' Callen said sarcastically. 'We wouldn't expect you to go to any trouble on our behalf.'

'Look, I know from experience that dealing with demons is just a disaster waiting to happen. But, Castiel brought you here, so that makes you our problem.'

Kensi was getting offended. 'Well, if we're such a burden, why don't you just tell us where we can find him, and we'll deal with him directly.'

Dean sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He hadn't meant to piss anybody off. 'It really doesn't work like that. Cas comes and goes as he pleases, and I've already tried calling on him. It could be that he's out of commission for a bit. We know time travel really blows out his batteries, and I'm guessing that interdimensional travel is an even bigger deal.'

Sam grinned at his decidedly unscholarly brother. 'Interdimensional travel. Really?'

'Shut up. I read comics.'

'So, until and unless he shows up again, we're stuck taking orders from the self-proclaimed King of Hell?', Callen asked.

'Yeah. Sucks, don't it?'

'Maybe you should fill us in a little more on your background,' Callen suggested. 'We really don't know much of anything about you two, other than that you have powerful friends and enemies, and are reputed to have returned from the grave?'

Dean and Sam exchanged a look that said, 'Hoo boy, how do we condense _our_ lives down into the Reader's Digest version?'

Sam started off, 'Dean and I are what's known as Hunters. That means that we hunt down and dispose of anything that's messing with humans in a supernatural way.'

'You mean kill?,' Kensi asked, even as Deeks said, 'Supernatural?'

'If necessary,' Sam answered Kensi first. 'Or banish, exorcise, or otherwise send the whatever-it-is back to where it came from; whatever stops it.'

Sam then looked at Deeks, 'Supernatural meaning anything other than basic human-flavored badness. Demons and Leviathan you've met. There are also ghosts, gods, vampires, werewolves,... anything you've ever heard mentioned in legends and lore.'

'Most people aren't aware that the legends are based in fact,' Dean added. 'Those in the know are generally survivors of an attack, or Hunters like us. And most Hunters get started because they lost loved ones to the monsters. We were raised in the life, it's what we know. But we've also lost a lot of people along the way, so it's pretty much just us left.'

'Sounds lonely,' Deeks said. 'Where's home, then?'

'We don't really have one anymore. We basically live on the road, drifting from one case to the next.'

Now Kensi was reluctantly starting to feel sorry for them. 'Why not just quit? Settle down and start families of your own?'

'We've both taken a stab at that,' Sam replied. 'It didn't work out so well. It's kind of a once-a-cop, always-a-cop thing, you keep getting sucked back in. And, we tend to endanger anyone who's around us for very long.'

'If you love 'em, leave 'em?', Sam inquired.

'It's gotten tragic at times, when we haven't,' Dean responded with a note of sadness in his voice. 'Even those who have chosen this work tend not to make it much past middle age.'

'So, no need to plan for retirement, then.'

That got a rueful laugh. 'No, can't say that's ever made the worry list.'

'And getting back-from-the-great-beyond? How'd that happen?', Deeks asked.

'Castiel got me out of hell, Crowley and Death brought back Sam. A different angel, Joshua, brought both of us back from heaven.'

'Whoa, whoa. You've been to both heaven and hell? Dude, details!'

'I don't think it would matter to you, the rules probably aren't the same where you're from. Anyway, it's different for everyone.'

'Way to welsh, thanks for nothing. But why do you guys rate the resurrection deal? I thought that was reserved for the son of God. You're not...'

Dean laughed, 'God, no! Somebody wrote us into an apocalyptic prophesy. So, both sides had a vested interest in us, either in taking us out, or in keeping our pieces on the game board.'

'There's an apocalypse coming?'

'Bypassed. We managed to find a loophole.'

The lawyer in Deeks could appreciate that. 'So, you're not important anymore?'

'Not to the powers that be. But, once you've saved the world, you kind of get invested in keeping it that way; makes it hard to put away the hero costumes.'

'I grok that. Respect.'

'Grok?', Kensi asked. 'Are you making up words again?'

'Stranger in a Strange Land, Heinlein. Don't you read? Huh, kind of appropriate, when you think about it.'

'What about you guys?', Sam asked. 'What's your world like?'

'Way more normal than yours, that's for damn sure,' Sam replied.

'We have heaven and hell, angels and demons, but they're only concepts, not in-your-face realities,' Callen continued. 'The mythological really is just myth. At least, so far as we know.'

'Sounds restful. Any idea why Castiel picked you to bring across?'

'You'd really have to ask him. We're highly trained, but not for the kind of thing you deal with here. We are waaay outside our comfort zone.'

'What do you do, exactly? We know you can fight. Military?'

'We're NCIS agents. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, based in Los Angeles.'

'Feds? For real?' For some reason, Dean seemed to get a real kick out of that.

'You have families waiting on your return?', Sam asked.

'I do,' Sam said. He nodded at the others, 'They're more... unattached.'

'We have good friends, homes, and pets we're eager to get back to, though,' Kensi put in, throwing a disdainful look Sam's way.

'We are sorry you got dragged into this,' Sam apologized. 'It's not your fight, we know.'

'You can rest assured we'll be having a little chat with Castiel about arrogance and permission,' Dean added.

'It would have been nice to be asked,' Callen agreed. 'Even if we'd just have thought he was cracked. But done is done, and we're here now. What's our next step?'

'Crowley wants us back at the warehouse tomorrow. I guess we'll find out then.'

'Then I suggest we turn in, and get some rest. If tomorrow turns out to be anything like today...'

'I grok that.'

* * *

Deeks was sharing a motel room with just Kensi, this time. He hadn't given her a chance to choose which bed she wanted, he'd just thrown his stuff down on the one nearest to the door, claiming it.

Once they'd gone to bed, he lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling. He wasn't able to stop replaying the day in his mind. He was especially haunted by the images of Kensi screaming, her flesh being eaten away, and then... He swallowed bile, and forced himself to think of something, anything else.

He could tell by her quiet, even breaths that Kensi had fallen asleep. He turned his head to check on her, and found her lying on her side, facing him, her hands tucked beneath her chin. He rolled to his side, and let his eyes drink in her face.

She was safe, he told himself. That hadn't been her, she was fine. His Kensi had been the warrior woman wielding the sword, she was more than capable of protecting herself. The image of her dangling helplessly in the creature's grip, about to be devoured, pushed itself into his consciousness. But he'd been there to back her up, he reminded himself; together they could fight these things. He had to hold on to that, trust in himself and in her. Otherwise, he'd ruin their effectiveness as a fighting unit. He had to get this under control.

He rolled back onto his back, and deliberately brought up every memory he had of Kensi being her kick-ass self. He thought of the times she'd kicked his ass, held her own against Sam in hand-to-hand combat, and taken down every kind of bad guy. She was really something, and his usual sense of admiration and confidence in her filled him once more. Letting go of the need for vigilance, he was finally able to relax into sleep.


	8. Chapter 8 - Planning

In the morning, they returned to the warehouse, and found that Crowley's minions had been busy. The torture chair was gone, though the weapons remained. Indeed, anything they'd used up had been replenished. There were also crates on the floor that hadn't been there the day before.

In the middle of the open space, there were now poster boards with maps and documents arranged to illustrate something, as well as whiteboards for note taking. Regular folding chairs and a table had also been provided. Off to one side, another table held a coffee maker. and beside it was a mini-fridge complete with cold drinks and sandwiches.

Curious to know what Crowley had in mind for them, they crowded around the boards. Predominant was a large map showing the layout of a cave, with three spots on it circled in red.

Dean picked up a folder from the table, and leafed through it. 'Son of a bitch,' he muttered.

'What?', Callen asked, turning toward him.

'I was expecting something like what we encountered before, when we went after Dick Roman. You know, that they'd be holed up in an office building somewhere, with their precious object locked in a safe.'

'Not so?'

'Not this time. Crowley wasn't kidding when he said these guys were old school. They've gone underground, used a cave as a sort of natural fortress. It's the one on that map over there, Spring Cave. And the goddess mini-mes have apparently parted ways, and been stashed separately.'

'Let me get this straight. We're expected to go and retrieve these things, from a cave?'

'Looks like it. The cave is closed to the public, because of some disease among the bats, so nobody is going to be casually nosing around up there. They're probably patrolling the area as park rangers or something, and we already know anyone going inside will be detected or locked out by their defences.'

'We don't know anything about navigating caves.'

'Join the club. I wouldn't even begin to know what equipment we'd need.'

'Seems Crowley thought of that,' Dean's brother interjected. He and the other Sam had pried open a couple of the crates. 'Look at all this stuff. Helmets, lights, rope, special shoes... it's all here.'

'Helmets seem like a good idea,' Deeks commented, glancing around. Only Callen and Kensi were under six feet tall, and even so, not by much. Sam Winchester had to be, what, 6'4, 6'5? He was going to hit his head at some point, for sure.

'This one's got diving gear,' said Sam, who would know. 'Is one of the pieces underwater?'

Kensi, who was standing by the map, checked the legend. 'Yeah, there's an underwater passage beyond Jonas Beach, and one of the circles is over something called Sump 1. There's a river flowing through this cave, which can flood it completely in early spring, according to a note here.'

'Awesome,' Dean grumbled. 'How are we supposed to get at that one?'

'Ah, I believe I begin to see the reasoning behind your friend's choice,' Callen said. 'Sam, before he joined NCIS, was a Navy Seal. He could go after it, but he'd need a dive buddy.'

Sam turned to the only other person there who regularly spent time in the water. 'Deeks, you dive?'

'I'm rated for open water, but I've never been anywhere near a cave.'

'Ever do any night diving?'

'No.'

'Well, this will be an adventure then, won't it? Come over here, see if this wetsuit will fit you.'

They all started checking out the crates, lifting out equipment and beginning to familiarize themselves with it. They laid everything out on the floor, dividing the common items like helmets and lights into six separate piles.

One of the documents provided was a small guidebook, describing how to safely navigate a cave. Callen sat down and began to study that one.

Sam studied the map, noting that they'd have a long way to go before they even reached the water. 'If nobody can get in there,' he mused, 'how'd they get the intel on these locations?'

'Davey?', Dean speculated. 'It would have to have come from a Leviathan, and anything that can feel pain can be coerced into giving up information.'

'If they know he's been compromised, won't they have moved the statuettes?', Kensi asked.

'Leviathan are arrogant bastards, and while they're smart, without their leader they're disorganized. As long as Davey hasn't been missing too long, there's a chance they won't have noticed yet. But, that does make time even more of an issue. Wait too long, and we'll miss our window.'

'We don't want to rush in unprepared, either,' Callen said. 'None of us are trained for this, and we can't take a guide with us. Hell, the way these guys can camouflage themselves, we don't dare even ask questions. Ask the wrong person, and we're toast.'

'What about guards?', Sam speculated. 'You think they'll have anyone down there?'

'No way to know, so we'd better go in prepared. Okay, let's plan this out.'

They spent the better part of the day discussing the best way to defend themselves against attack in the cramped confines of a cave, and learning the basics of travelling in one. Gear was picked out, and tried on for size and to assess weight and maneuverability. They had to be careful not to overburden themselves, they'd be down there awhile. Food and water also had to be carried in, and certain areas they had to navigate were narrow or low, and a tight fit.

The cave was north and east of their current location, about seven hours drive away. They decided to take the next day to get up there, and scout out the cave entrance. If it was being watched, they couldn't just stroll on in. If they deemed it safe to proceed, they'd get a good night's rest, then go forward with the mission.

They packed up all the gear, and got it stowed in the three cars. They were done by late afternoon, which left them with an evening to kill. Dean was all for hitting a bar, but Callen wanted to stay low-profile, so they headed back to the motel.

* * *

'So, G. We're really gonna do this?', Sam asked as they drove.

'Crawl down a hole in the ground, in search of the holy trinity of paperweights?'

'Basically, yeah.'

'Got any better ideas?', Callen asked with faint hope.

'Come to our senses, and call the whole thing off?'

'And do what, instead?'

'Could still go with Plan B.'

'And if it turns out that nobody's home when we get there?'

'Come up with Plan C, I guess.'

'If we weren't on the dark side of the rainbow, I'd be on board with that. But, if the Winchesters are right, we're on a deadline here.'

Sam looked ahead at the two figures in the '67 Impala they were currently following, and frowned. 'Can we trust them?'

'Hard to say. They tell these fantastically tall tales, but then they provide us with an arsenal and defy us to kill one scrawny kid - and despite our best efforts, we can't. That, is not normal. So I can either believe that I'm lying in a hospital bed somewhere, fever dreaming, or buy into this version of reality and believe that they're being straight with us. What's your take?'

'The unkillable kid is a pretty compelling argument, gotta say. And, if it is the impossible dream, then no harm in going with it, is there?'

Callen nodded, 'Good point.'

'So, damn the torpedoes?'

'And give the devil his due.'


	9. Chapter 9 - Will They?

Sam and Callen stood next to the Challenger, waiting in the motel parking lot for Kensi and Deeks to rent them rooms for another night.

'Did you notice what Kensi bought the other day, when she was shopping with Deeks?', Sam asked Callen.

'Pretty racy stuff, for everyday wear.'

'Seems like she might have had an ulterior motive.'

'If it was to disconcert Deeks, it was working. Did you see his face when we walked up? He looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.'

Dean, who'd just gotten out of the Impala, overheard and walked over. 'So what's the deal with those two? Are they an item?'

'Working toward it, is the general consensus,' replied Sam. 'They're taking their sweet time about it, though.'

'Kensi's the skittish sort,' Callen commented. 'Deeks is a persistent fellow, though. If anyone could get the job done...'

Sam folded his arms, a little perturbed. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of Deeks and Kensi as a couple. He wanted to think she could do better than Deeks, but couldn't deny that he'd been good for her. She laughed far more often than she used to, and was nowhere near as uptight. She trusted him, and that was a gift that Kensi Blye granted to very few people. And he'd certainly been there for her, saved her life a couple of times, been a good protector. If he was as good a romantic partner as he'd been a work partner, then Sam would have to grant his blessings. But he reserved the right to pulverize the manchild, if he ever made her cry.

Dean's brother joined them, and asked, 'You want us to feel them out a little? They might open up to strangers.'

Callen shrugged. 'If you want.'

'Gotta pass the time somehow,' said Dean. 'What the hell, I'm in.' He looked at Sam, 'Divide and conquer?'

'Dibs on Kensi.'

'Dammit.'

* * *

Sam and Kensi sat at the little table in her motel room, playing Gin. She was having a hard time winning even one hand. 'I suppose you and Dean pass the time this way a lot? You're really good at it.'

'Yeah. Sometimes there's not much else to do. We spend a lot of time on the road, and in places like this.'

'It must get pretty boring.'

'Well, you do tend to run out of topics of conversation, when you're with the same person all day, every day.'

'Huh, I hadn't noticed. Deeks never shuts up.'

'You like him, though?'

'Oh, he's a great partner; very dependable, very competent, and really quite brilliant at undercover work. He just drives me up a wall, sometimes.' She smiled fondly. 'But, it wouldn't be Deeks if he wasn't making somebody crazy.'

'It doesn't seem like you mind all that much.'

'You get used to it. And, it certainly keeps life interesting! I haven't been bored since he became my partner, even on long stakeouts.'

'He's pretty flirtatious, for a partner. Is there something more going on between you two?'

'No! No, that's just his way. Deeks would flirt with a girl in a coma, if he thought there was a chance she'd wake up and smile at him.'

'Oh. Well, it just seemed to me that he particularly enjoys baiting you, like maybe he likes you. Have you ever considered going out with him?'

Kensi was getting flustered. She needed to get him off this track, fast. She certainly didn't want him putting this idea in anyone else's head! She had enough trouble keeping the others convinced that she wasn't attracted to Deeks as it was. Not being sure what else to do, she continued to exaggerate.

'Oh please, date Deeks? As if! Flirting is like breathing with him. If he tried to rein that in, he'd last about three days before he exploded.'

'You don't think he could be happy, flirting with just one particular woman?'

She sighed, conceding defeat. 'Well, maybe. I don't know. He's joking all the time, so it's hard to take him seriously, or to know when he means anything he says.'

'Well I'm sure, if he means it, he'll find a way to let you know. Gin.'

'No way. I just dealt that!'

* * *

In his room, Dean sat at the small table by the window, cleaning his gun. Deeks stood next to the bedside table, perusing some takeout menus Sam had told him were in the drawer.

'So,' Dean asked, 'you like her, huh?'

Deeks looked up, faintly alarmed. 'What?'

Dean gave him an 'oh come on, seriously?' look, but went on. 'Kensi. You all look out for her, but with the other two, it's more of a big-brother vibe.' He looked Deeks straight in the eye. 'You protect her like she's the most important thing in the world.'

'Oh god,' Deeks groaned, dropping down to sit on the motel bed. 'Is it that obvious?'

'Far as I can tell, she's the only one who doesn't know,' Dean said.

Deeks sprang back to his feet, definitely alarmed now. 'What?!' He began to pace agitatedly. 'Then how am I still alive? Sam and Callen should have killed me long since, and Hetty…' He stopped, closed his eyes, and shuddered.

Dean raised an eyebrow, wondering who this Hetty person was that was scarier than the two frighteningly capable agents he'd seen in action just the day before. 'Way I see it, they either approve of the match, or they're reserving judgment, and waiting to see which way she jumps. But if you ever hurt her, let her down...'

Deeks rolled his eyes ceilingward. 'I know. She'll either take me out herself, or stand back and take bets on who'll be the first to make Marty mincemeat.'

Dean chuckled, 'And I thought I liked to live dangerously.'

* * *

Once Kensi and Deeks had retired for the night, Sam and Callen met Sam and Dean out by the soda machine.

'So,' Callen asked. 'Verdict?'

Dean went first, 'Just as you figured; Deeks is a goner, but he's not sure of her yet. He's clearly trying to work her around to the idea, even though he's halfway convinced that one of you, or somebody named Hetty, will take him out for even looking at her funny.' Dean took a moment to look over the two big, tough men, then snorted. 'Guy's got some stones.'

They looked at Sam inquiringly. 'Oh, it's there,' he responded, 'but she's working really hard at not seeing it. Um, you guys have the movie Star Wars in your world?'

Callen nodded, 'I guess some things are universal.'

'Then I'd say she's at the scruffy-Nerf-herder stage.'

Callen laughed, 'Yeah, that tracks.'

'Oh, he's scruffy-looking all right,' said Sam.

'So,' Dean said with an evil little smile, 'we get to mess with 'em?'

Callen grinned back, 'Knock yourselves out.'


	10. Chapter 10 - Namaste

Kensi cast a puzzled glance at Deeks, wondering why he seemed so skittish this morning. He seemed to be keeping a leery eye on Sam and Callen, and kept maneuvering to put her between himself and them. Had something happened that she wasn't aware of? She saw Sam notice as well, and give Deeks a wolfish grin. Huh, must be a guy thing.

After a quick breakfast, they hit the road. Kensi found the drive relaxing, the most ordinary thing they'd done since they'd arrived in this crazy place. Indeed, as they climbed into a beautiful mountainous area, it almost seemed like a vacation road trip. Deeks seemed happier too, as they cheerfully quibbled over the choice of radio station. He made one hilarious comment after another on the rantings of a talk radio host, making her laugh out loud more than once. She was even beginning to have fun.

By mid-afternoon, they'd checked into a small B&B near the town of Meeker. Between them, they'd used up all the available rooms, so they didn't have to worry about socializing with anyone but the friendly owners.

They headed out to scout the area around the cave immediately, while they still had plenty of daylight. It was about a half hour climb up a rocky trail to reach the main entrance. They sent Kensi and Deeks strolling past, chatting casually like a couple on vacation, while the others observed from concealed positions.

No one stopped them, and when Kensi and Deeks rejoined the others, they reported that the cave entrance was sealed off. The cave gate consisted of a series of metal bars, spaced far enough apart to allow bats or small mammals to pass through, but nothing bigger. Kensi was confident that they'd be able to pick the lock on the doorway, though.

After some further scouting of the area that failed to raise any red flags, they headed back down the mountain. It was early evening, and everyone was hungry. They stopped at the B&B to clean up, and asked the proprietor for a restaurant recommendation.

'Oh, I have just the place!', she exclaimed. 'We keep a table on reserve there for our guests. Good thing for you, or you'd never get one on a Friday night. It's open-mike night, and the quality of the local musicians is really quite remarkable. People come from miles around to attend.'

Kensi went upstairs to change. Her room shared a bathroom with Deeks', but she was able to enjoy a modicum of privacy for once. The night was warm, and she decided on a dress that floated around her legs and left her shoulders bare. A night out with her colleagues; it seemed almost normal, and once again she felt her spirits lift.

She descended the stairs to find the men waiting on her. Deeks was about to compliment her on her appearance, when Dean stepped forward and took her hand, helping her down the last couple of steps.

'Kensi, you are a sight for sore eyes,' he told her. 'Sam and I rarely get to enjoy the company of a lovely woman at dinner.' Dean tucked her arm in his, and escorted her toward the door. Behind her back, he sent a speaking look toward his brother, urging him to get in the game.

Sam didn't really see the point of romancing a taken woman, but he made a token effort. 'Yes, and if the place we're going has dancing, I hope you'll save me one.'

Kensi smiled, enjoying the attention, and allowed herself to be guided to Dean's car. He opened the door for her, and told Sam to catch a ride with someone else. Deeks found himself a little discomfited, not usually having any competition for Kensi's regard. And Dean knew that he was into Kensi, so what the hell was he playing at?

The restaurant turned out to be more of a large coffeehouse. Dean wasn't so sure about it, especially when he saw that it was called _Café NamasThé_. Sure enough, when they walked in and took a look around, there was a distinctly new-agey feel to the place. There was a poster on the wall showing the location of chakra points on the body, crystal necklaces were being sold by the cash register, which itself was sporting a sticker saying, 'Have a Faerie Nice Day.' The last straw for Dean, though, was the sign on the wall behind the cashier. It read, 'No Alcohol'.

'Oh, hell no,' Dean stated, and turned to walk out.

'Now wait, Dean,' Sam said. He'd been perusing the menu, and he liked what he saw. 'They have some good stuff here.' Not that Dean would think so, he knew. Dean's tastes ran to the heart attack inducing, but here nothing but organic, healthy foods were on offer.

Sam, who also liked to eat properly, agreed with his namesake. Deeks and Kensi were also on board, and Dean found himself outvoted. 'Fine,' he grumbled, 'but I refuse to drink tea.'

There was clearly a heavy focus on tea in the café, even more so than on coffee. Many different types, some exotic, were displayed along one wall, and boxes and tins of the stuff were also available for purchase.

'Look, Sam,' Callen said. 'They've got Yellow Mountain Tribute, your favorite.'

'G, you know I can't drink that without wolfberries.' They grinned at one another, remembering a time when Hetty had tried to educate Sam by having him sample one of her specialty teas. He'd had to pretend to like it, even though it had gone moldy in the tin. You didn't refuse one of Hetty's offerings, not if you valued your life.

Thinking fondly of Hetty, most of them did in fact order tea while they waited on dinner. They stuck to safer choices though, like Earl Grey and Jasmine. It turned out that the B&B owner was right about reserving a table. As it neared 7:00 pm, the little place filled rapidly, and it was soon standing room only.

The music started as they were served their meals, and it became immediately apparent that she'd also been right about the quality of the local musicians. The first one up expertly played two classical pieces on an acoustic guitar, then finished with a rousing flamenco number. Next up was a woman with a lovely voice, who was accompanied by another guitar player. They did a couple of folk tunes, then the café owner got up to announce the main acts.

'Thank you for coming, everyone. We have a great lineup for you tonight. We have The Bombadils,' he had to pause and wait out the cheers and clapping, 'and the Road Scholars.' There was more applause and cries of approval. 'But first up, please welcome Clarksdale Moan!' With that, he turned the tiny stage over two a pair of men, one of whom was in a wheelchair. He turned out to be an excellent blues singer, and his friend played killer slide guitar. Kensi really enjoyed their set, finding it all too brief.

The next band was an interesting one. It was a Celtic folk group, and consisted of a fiddler and a flute player, both women, as well as a guitarist and a fellow with an upright bass. They were really good, playing with genuine joy and enthusiasm, and were obvious crowd favorites. The violinist, who also sang, was of especial interest to Deeks, as he'd learned the instrument himself, growing up.

Kensi covertly watched Deeks, who was absorbed in watching the band. It was good to see him enjoying himself. His tongue flicked out, to wet his pouty lower lip; she'd seen it before, he did it sometimes when he was concentrating. To her alarm, when she saw it this time, she felt heat flash through her. She quickly looked away from him, pretty sure her pupils had just dilated. Damn that Sam, for increasing her sexual awareness of Deeks. Oh, she was in trouble. She wasn't sure she'd be able to get the genie back into the bottle, this time.

When the band had finished, and they were setting up the stage for the next group, Kensi escaped to the bathroom, hoping to compose herself. However, when she emerged, Deeks was lying in wait, and catching her hand, he propelled her into a jig to the first tune of the latest group. This band played lively bluegrass music, on banjo, mandolin, guitar, and bass guitar.

There was barely room to move in the packed café, but people cheerfully stood back to give them space. Deeks swung and two-stepped Kensi through two numbers, until he had her flushed and laughing. It didn't matter if they were uncoordinated or awkward, it was all good fun. When the band slowed for a quiet, gospel tune, they made their way back to the table.

The six of them had drawn some wary looks from the locals earlier, as a group consisting primarily of large, imposing men are wont to do. Callen nudged Sam, and directed his attention to how they now watched only Kensi and Deeks, with the tender, gently amused looks reserved for young couples in love.

Having to conform to small town bylaws, the café called a halt to the music at 10:00 pm, to universal disappointment. People filed out, making voluntary cash deposits in a small basket near the door, which was the only financial recompense the musicians would get for their efforts.

Outside, Kensi looked up, and found herself captivated by the beauty of the night sky. Living in a city, where light pollution blotted out all but the brightest stars, she'd forgotten the majesty of the star-studded heavens. When she looked back down, she caught Deeks staring at her, a soft look on his face.

Sam broke Deeks' reverie with a playful shove to the shoulder, pushing him toward the cars. 'Keep it moving, mop-head,' he said, grinning.

Jolted back to awareness, Deeks quickly offered Kensi the keys to his car, knowing that with her preference for driving, she'd be less likely to go with Dean again. Done with romance for the evening, Kensi happily accepted. A car, at least, she could control.


	11. Chapter 11 - Blush

Oh, she was liking this assignment, Kensi thought. Finally, a legitimate excuse to do something she'd secretly been longing to, for far longer than she'd like to admit. She ran her hands through Deeks' hair, luxuriating in the sensation of the silky strands as they pulled through her fingers.

They were playing a besotted couple, which let them stand within earshot of their suspect, but with their attention seemingly only on each other. Deeks had her pinned to the wall of the club, her body mostly hidden by his.

He nibbled at her lips, then trailed gentle kisses from her mouth down to her throat. The brush of his stubble against her cheek made her shiver. She tipped her head to the side to give him better access, and pressed closer to him. It was fortunate that she was expected to make some noise, because she was failing to stop the small gasps that broke past her lips.

His thigh was between her legs, and putting pressure right where she needed it. Which was becoming a problem, she was getting far too turned on. His mouth at her neck, up behind her ear, was doing incredible things to her. She'd always been sensitive there, but with him, it was like someone had turned up the voltage to lightning levels, his lips sending bolts of pleasure ricocheting through her.

Soon, she was beyond caring that Sam and Callen were somewhere behind them in the dimly lit room, or that everyone back at Ops could hear them. She groaned encouragement, 'Oh god, yes, right there!', and writhed against him. Then he found the tender area where her neck met her shoulder, and gently bit down. 'Ahhh, _Marty_!'

The bang of a closing door woke her and she jumped, badly startled. She looked up, and saw Deeks carefully setting a steaming cup of coffee down on the room's little table. He glanced her way, and casually asked, 'Nightmares, Kens? You were moaning a little, there.'

Mortified, she snapped at him, 'It'd be nice if you'd knock!'

'I did, you didn't answer. You must have been pretty deep under.'

She'd have liked to put him under just then, about 6 feet deep. Thankful that the oversized T-shirt she was wearing covered her to mid-thigh, she swung out of bed and stalked to the tiny bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

He raised his voice so that she could still hear him, 'Hey, you should be thanking me! I saved you from that awful dream, where you were probably being slowly devoured by...'

'Get_ out_, Deeks!', she yelled.

'Okay, okay! Sheesh, what a grouch. Breakfast in 10, just so you know.'

* * *

'C'mon, gimme the keys.' Deeks made a lunge for them.

'No, I'm driving.' Kensi held the car keys out of reach, then passed them to her other hand behind her back. Deeks tried to move around her, but she turned in place, keeping her front to his.

'You drove yesterday, it's my turn.' He got a hand near hers, and she slapped at it.

'Ask me if I care!' He almost got her pinned against the car, but she ducked under his arm and danced away, giving herself some room.

Dean leaned back against the Impala, arms crossed, observing the show. He remarked to Callen, 'You sure they're not married?'

'Come on, snookums…', Deeks wheedled.

'NO, Deeks.' Finally, Kensi grabbed his hand, twisted it under at the wrist, and had him up on his toes, yelping. She perp-walked him around the car to the passenger side door before releasing him.

Deeks shook his abused hand, muttering, 'Okay, geez! It's only _my_ car', but he got in.

Seeing that Kensi was free, Dean said to Callen, 'Hold up a minute,' and walked over to join her. 'Kensi, can you show me that hold you just used? That could come in handy.'

Deeks sat in the passenger seat and glowered at Kensi and Dean. She had one of his big hands cradled in both of hers, showing him the finger placement for the hold she was demonstrating. Oh sure, she manhandled poor Marty, but with Dean she was practically gentle? He didn't like it, not one bit.

Dean had far too much to offer for his peace of mind. There was too much there for Kensi to like: the guy was model-handsome, he drove a car with some serious sex appeal, he could handle himself in a firefight, and he was interested in Kensi for her combat skills. Oh, and he had that whole I-hunt-creatures-of-the-night thing going. And, _and,_ he was _pals_, with a freakin' _angel_, if that could be believed! How was a regular guy supposed to compete?

Deeks slid lower in his seat, sulking. At least the guy seemed to be pretty anal about his music, he mused, being all about the classic rock. Kensi would never be able to get away with playing that techno stuff she liked in _his_ car.

Dean strolled back to the Impala, smiling smugly. 'He's glaring holes in my back right now, isn't he?'

Callen hid a grin, 'Yep.'

Getting into the car, Kensi cursed her subconscious for creating the dream whose memory continued to plague her. This was why she worked so hard not to have inappropriate thoughts about her partner, her _partner_, dammit, the person she had to be able to work with, every day. Because now, with that in her head, ack! She could feel her heart hammering and a blush starting, just because she was sitting next to him. And, her peripheral vision informed her, he was eyeing her askance.

Desperate for something to explain her high color, she looked over to where Dean and Sam were standing facing Callen and Sam, conversing quietly. Kensi let her eyes rest on Dean's butt a moment, then murmured appreciatively, 'What nice men.' To her relief, that did it. Deeks huffed in disgust and looked out the side window. Satisfied, her cheeks cooling, Kensi started the car.


	12. Chapter 12 - Descent

**AN: I know nothing about caves or diving beyond what I've read on the internet or seen in movies, so please forgive any inaccuracies in the next few chapters. **

**I've used the Spring Cave of Colorado as an inspiration for the one in the Supernatural universe, but while they may share features, they are not the same. This is especially true in terms of scale.**

* * *

Kensi followed Sam's tall form up the rocky trail, enjoying the pretty morning in the mountains. The air was fresh and clean, the birds were singing, and it seemed a shame that they would soon forsake the bright sunny day for a cold, dark cave. She noticed that Deeks wasn't voicing his usual complaints, and wondered if he was starting to appreciate woodland environs. What she didn't realize was that he was busy, trying not to be obvious about it, but keeping himself physically interposed between her and Dean.

Bringing up the rear, Sam and Callen watched the jockeying for position going on behind the oblivious Kensi and fought not to laugh aloud.

* * *

As predicted, the lock on the cave gate proved to be no barrier to their skills. Kensi wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant smell of bat guano, but knew that it would fade out before long. The bats, unlike them, were smart enough not to penetrate very deeply into the caverns.

They stopped a short way into the cave, where it was still light enough to see, and unloaded the gear they'd need immediately from the backpacks. They put on the warm, water-repellent, reflective coveralls known as cave suits, and donned the helmets.

Callen looked into the dark maw ahead, where monsters potentially lay in wait. 'Creepy,' he commented.

Sam shrugged, 'At least it's not clowns.'

Sam Winchester looked up from where he knelt by his backpack, and smiled. 'I know, right?'

* * *

The first part of the tunnels showed evidence of a great deal of vandalism. Dean pointed out that, among the names, dates, and other graffiti humans had scrawled on the walls, were a number of esoteric symbols.

'Those are Enochian,' he said, shining his light at some written in white chalk. 'They keep out the angels.' He swung the light to some red ones, 'And those are anti-demon. I don't know what they've got rigged to detect humans, but we're not setting off any audible alarms, anyway.'

That didn't stop anyone from being nervous.

* * *

They began to descend quite soon. The first drop was easy, as someone had installed a wide metal ladder. It showed signs of wear, but was still sturdy enough. However, that was the last artificial assistance in evidence. This was no tame, tourist cave.

As the natural light faded away behind them, they learned the true meaning of darkness. They could see nothing outside the circle of light cast by a headlamp or hand light. A great deal of attention was called for, to watch both one's head and one's feet at the same time. There were no flat surfaces, and the height of the ceiling varied from step to step. It was, in fact, rather cramped for large adults carrying a good deal of gear.

Before long, the cave became their world. It crowded close around them, cool and damp. The silence pressed in on them as well, the incredible quiet disconcerting to people accustomed to the myriad noises of the surface world. All they could hear was their breathing, their feet upon the rocks, the shift and rustle of clothing, and the distant sound of running water, from somewhere up ahead.

Deeks, whose surfer's soul rejoiced in the bright, wide-open expanses of sea and sky, found the close press of darkness and rock very confining. In many places, there was no room to maneuver, should it come to a fight. And whoever had the point position, or brought up the rear, was particularly vulnerable. Callen had insisted on going first, of course, and Sam was close behind him. He and Kensi were next, followed by Dean and Sam.

He certainly hoped they could get in and out without incident. The monsters definitely had the advantage, in this environment. It wouldn't be a good idea to fire a gun down here; besides the dangers of ricochets, you'd deafen everyone. And the best weapon against a Leviathan, a sword or machete, could not be effectively swung unless you were in one of the more open spaces. Footing was treacherous, as well.

And then there was the issue of light; they were completely vulnerable without it. If the creatures managed to destroy their light sources, they'd be able to pick off the team at their leisure. With the amount of damage they could take, the monsters could launch attack after attack, in ways that would be suicidal for anyone else.

But, they were committed to this course, so they pressed on despite the dangers. Kensi thought she might actually have enjoyed the experience, under other circumstances. It was very different than anything she'd tried before, and she was always up for new challenges. Being the smallest person there, she was also having the easiest time negotiating the tight spots, especially where they had to remove their gear in order to squeeze through. She was not happy about how vulnerable they were during such transitions, though.

At first, they travelled in silence, alert for any sign of guardians. After a couple of incident-free hours though, and with the increasingly loud rush of water drowning out other noises, they began to relax their vigilance. They were all also feeling a need to connect with other human beings, in this alien environment. After a brief stop for water and a couple of handfuls of trail mix, they continued on, but now spoke to one another as they went.

* * *

Deeks, eyes on his feet as he navigated a narrow passage, nearly walked face-first into rock as he rounded a corner. 'Thanks for the warning, partner,' he said to Kensi, who was ahead of him.

'Don't be a baby, Deeks,' her voice floated back. 'Just watch where you're going.'

Well, he could be courteous. He called out to Dean and Sam, behind him, 'Yo, tall and taller! There's a low point coming up, just past the curve. Watch yourself.'

'Thanks, man,' Sam replied. He was not happy; his back was already aching from stooping over so much of the time. He couldn't wait to get out of there, back to the surface where his large body was an advantage. This caving stuff was not for him.

Both Sam and Dean were very determinedly not thinking about their time in a different pit.

* * *

'So,' Deeks asked Sam as they passed through a larger room, 'if gods and such are real here, does that mean The Avengers are real too?'

The geography of the room had allowed Sam get ahead of Deeks. As he entered a narrower passage, Sam looked back and replied, 'Well, we haven't seen any, but I did get to use Thor's hammer once.'

'What? You... What?' Deeks hurried to catch up, determined to get the rest of that story.

* * *

They came to a fairly steep descent, almost vertical in places, and found that someone had left a rope behind. There was no telling how long ago though, or how reliable it might be. Still, it was more of an aide than a safety measure; the slope was navigable, given sufficient care.

Deeks was the first to try it, and he made it most of the way before his foot slipped on a loose rock. He slithered and slid briefly, then jumped away, trying for a relatively flat spot on the cave floor. He landed off-balance, but managed to recover, and straightened up with a flourish, pretending to 'stick' the landing.

Kensi, halfway down, had frozen in place when he'd lost control. He looked up at her, and said reassuringly, 'Don't worry. If you fall, I'll be right here to catch you.'

Sam, amused, called down from the top, 'You gonna catch me too, Deeks?'

Remembering what Crowley had called them, as well as an epic battle of rock-paper-scissors he'd won against Sun-Tzu-Sam, he replied, 'Nuh-uh. Moose squashes Squirrel. You're on your own, big guy.'


	13. Chapter 13 - Divided

Once everyone was down the steep slope, they stopped for lunch. The sound of running water was loud now, and there was more moisture in the air. Sure enough, shortly after they resumed their trek, they came across the main channel of the river, known as Thunder Road. The tunnel the water had worn through the rock was about 12 feet high, but narrow, perhaps 4 feet across. The channel was about half full, but they could see patterns of wear on the exposed rock, clear to the ceiling.

Kensi shone her light into the clear, blue water, then reached down to test the temperature. It was frigidly cold, and she was heartily glad that she wasn't the one who was going to have to go for a swim later. She was grateful too, that they wouldn't have to wade to get across the river. She didn't really need it, but accepted the helping hand Dean offered her, as she hopped to the other side.

* * *

Before much longer, they reached the first point where one pair would have to split off from the group. Getting to the other two locations required the more specialized skills of the NCIS teams, so the four of them continued on to the north, and Sam and Dean took a tunnel that led southeast.

Once they were on their own, Dean remarked, 'Bobby would kick our asses for taking on this damn fool mission, if he could see us now.'

Sam smiled in fond memory of the man who'd been both a friend and a father-figure for them, after their own father had died. Bobby had been the curmudgeonly sort, and never one to hesitate to speak his mind. 'Yeah, he'd have told both Crowley and Castiel where they could stick their statue-thingy, and to find some other poor saps to run and fetch for them.'

'They kind of did do that, with the L.A. bunch. Those poor bastards never saw it coming.'

'Yeah, but they're handling it. I like them. It's too bad they're not from this world, we might've worked together again, down the road.'

'You're assuming they're gonna get to go back. Hell, we might be babysitting them for a long time to come.'

'It wouldn't take them long to become great Hunters. Did you see how fast they learned how to deal with that Leviathan? It was especially impressive given that it was their first exposure to a paranormal threat.'

'It sounds like adaptability is a key requirement for their job. And they have more combat training than most Hunters ever get. You're right, they probably would excel at it.' Dean was quiet for a moment, then he said, 'Kensi actually kind of reminds me of Mom.'

'Eww! Last night, you were putting the moves on her.'

'Not like that! I meant young, hot Mom, back before she had us.' Um, yeah, Dean thought, that wasn't making it better. 'You remember, I met her when Castiel zapped me back to 1973. She was a Hunter then, and a darned good one. She nearly took me down, when she caught me spying on her and Dad,' he said with pride.

'Okay, I see what you mean,' Sam allowed, letting his brother off the hook. 'And I'm pretty sure Kensi would have no problem taking you down.'

'What makes you think I'd be fighting it?'

* * *

It was nearly time for Sam and Deeks to leave, and Kensi couldn't help but worry. She'd read some of the documents provided by the demon on the hazards of diving in caves, and it had given her the willies. Talk about high fatality rates! Death was a possibility they faced every day, but the idea of this type of death freaked her. Drowning, trapped, lost in the dark and the cold... brrr!

She was sure Sam had received more than enough training in the Seals to handle himself safely in such an environment, but Deeks was a novice. And they had so little margin of error, as their air supply would be limited. They couldn't have carried in big enough scuba tanks for decent safety. She knew Deeks was entirely at home in the water, and could keep a cool head under pressure, but still. She wasn't going to be able to breathe easy until he was safely back by her side.

When they reached the branch in the tunnel, they put down the packs and took a short break. Kensi checked her watch, and found it to be early evening. She'd lost all sense of time, it felt like they'd been wandering down there for days.

All too soon, it was time for them to part ways. She hugged Sam tight, and whispered into his ear, 'Be safe! And look out for my partner, okay?'

'You got it, Kens. We'll be back before you know it,' he assured her, giving her a quick squeeze in return.

She turned to Deeks, and tilted her headlamp up so that she could look into his eyes without blinding him. Sensing a serious moment, he did the same then stood quietly, not attempting to joke or cajole her into a better mood. 'Don't die,' she said simply, but with heartfelt sincerity.

'Not if I can help it,' he told her. 'I'll be careful, I promise.' He voiced one of his own fears, 'Don't go fighting any monsters without me.'

'Not if I can help it,' she parroted back. Then she threw herself at him, wrapped her arms tight around his neck, and hugged him close for at least twice as long as she'd hugged Sam. His return hug felt so good she wanted to stay right there, warm and safe, but she made herself let go and step back.

As she turned away, blinking back tears, Sam and Callen were finishing up their goodbyes with one of those shoulder-bumping side hugs that men do.

Then Sam and Deeks walked off into the dark, and it was just her and Callen, alone in the small pool of illumination provided by only two sets of lights. She suddenly felt very small, lonely and lost.

Callen shouldered his pack, looked ahead, then looked over at her. 'Come on, Kensi. Just a walk in the park.'

'Oh, you did NOT just say that!', she groaned, giving him an admonishing swat on the shoulder. 'Now you've gone and jinxed us for sure.' But she was smiling as she followed him deeper into the cave.

* * *

It was really quiet with only the two of them left, so Deeks automatically talked more. He ended up pretty much running a monologue though, as Sam refused to engage in conversation. The most Deeks could get out of him was an occasional grunt. He didn't mind, though. Sam had always been taciturn, and Deeks knew that he tended to get even more quiet and focused right before a mission. To each his own, Deeks figured, everyone coped in their own way. He was more of a hotshot, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, worry-about-it-when-it-happens type, himself. If he'd gone military, maybe he'd have become a fighter pilot, Deeks mused idly.

Sam and Deeks reached the area known as Jonas Beach, and set their packs down. They donned the wetsuits and fins, and rigged the scuba tanks. As they didn't expect to be down long, and what with size and weight having been an issue, they had only one small tank each. Sam secured one end of a guide wire to a rock at the edge of the small pool that led to the underwater passage. The headlamps they were using would work underwater, but they would now also carry more powerful hand lights than they'd been using so far.

Deeks observed the pool that was the mouth of the underwater passage. 'Wow, if it wasn't filled with water, it'd look just like a Sarlacc pit. I hope there aren't any giant tentacles waiting in there to grab us.'

Sam rounded on Deeks, completely exasperated. 'Can you be serious for once? This is one of the most deadly environments on Earth, and it demands our undivided attention. One mistake could end both our lives down there. Are you up for this? Can I trust you?'

Deeks was taken aback, and frankly a little hurt that Sam would have to ask the question. 'C'mon man, you know me. When have I ever let you down?' He might joke around a lot, but surely Sam knew that when it came down to it, he would be there for his partner, 100 percent?

Sam just looked at him for a few moments, as if weighing his soul. Then, without a further word, he turned back to his preparations for the dive. Subdued, Deeks quietly did the same.

Sam sat on the edge of the pool, put a few drops of defogging agent in his mask and rubbed it around with his finger, then briefly rinsed the mask in the water. The masks were new, but he'd known they had to remove the residue left over from the manufacturing process as part of their preparations. It had been easy enough to do, they'd used toothpaste.

He tossed the defogger to Deeks, then donned his mask, and checked that he was getting sufficient air through the regulator. He confirmed that his compass was working, and made sure he had a dive knife, an extra light, and the reel for the guide wire. Then, trusting that Deeks would follow, he lowered himself into the water and disappeared.

Deeks stood looking down at Sam's light receding in the dark pool. 'Oh man, this is so stupid,' he muttered to himself. He wasn't trained for this, and was admittedly a little scared. But he was determined to prove himself worthy in Sam's eyes, so he sucked it up and eased his body into the cold water. He copied Sam's moves, rising out his mask and checking his equipment. Then, putting a gloved hand on the guide wire, he followed it down into the depths.


	14. Chapter 14 - Danger

The passageway Deeks entered was roomy enough for perhaps two people to swim side by side, and there was enough open water both above and below him for another swimmer. He stuck to the center of the space though, and swam as smoothly as he could. He knew that silt could be a real problem, and the easiest way to avoid stirring any up was to touch nothing and disturb the water as little as possible.

The quiet was even more pronounced than it had been in the galleries of the cave. All he could hear were the rhythmic sounds of his breathing; the quiet draw of air, and the burbling rush of expelled gas. The bubbles floated up to form small pools along the roof of the tunnel, glimmering like gellied pearls. He felt a sense of awe; this was a profound experience.

The passage angled downward, and Deeks figured he'd descended roughly 20 feet by the time the tunnel opened up into a submerged chamber. It was roughly 30 feet deep and wide enough so that his light barely reached the other side. He shone his hand light along the nearest wall, and felt his heart jump when he thought he glimpsed movement in one of the dark recesses. He saw no further signs of life though, so he turned back to the task at hand. Continuing to follow the guide wire, he moved closer to Sam.

Ahead, Sam had been searching for the item they'd come to find; to his relief, he located it quickly. The Leviathan hadn't made any effort to conceal the statuette, apparently trusting that the inaccessibility of the spot was sufficient security. He swam up to the rocky ledge on which the snake-headed lady perched, and looked for any signs of booby traps. Finding none, he put down the guide reel then reached out and picked up the figurine. It was about as long as his forearm, and heavy. He tucked it into the webbed bag he'd rigged across his chest, happy that he wouldn't have to swim far with the awkward weight.

Finished, he looked up just in time to catch sight of a sinuous form flashing toward him out of the darkness. Startled, he surged backward, and the giant moray eel missed its intended target. It had been going for the statuette, but its jaws closed around Sam's air hose instead. It thrashed, and Sam felt the regulator get torn from his mouth.

Then Deeks appeared, coming in from above and behind the creature. He got an arm around it, just below the head, and locked on with his other arm, in a type of wrestler's hold. Furious, the huge eel forgot about Sam and twisted away, Deeks riding it like some kind of demented bronc.

Sam checked his air hose, but it was torn through, the precious gas leaking away in a stream of bubbles. Nearby, all he could see of his partner's struggles was the beam of light from Deeks' headlamp slicing wildly through the dark water as they fought. He swam closer, and his own light showed Deeks hanging onto the eel for dear life, the fiendishly strong and supple body partially wrapped around him. The damn thing had to be at least 15 feet long.

Sam drew his dive knife, and grabbed onto Deeks. All three tumbled and spun, suspended in darkness, as he stabbed at the sinewy body of the eel. The blood that wafted out into the water was black, even when briefly illuminated by a passing beam of light. Bloody hell, Sam thought, the briefing hadn't included anything about non-humanoid Leviathan!

As quickly as he could, Sam pulled himself along Deeks' body to where he maintained his desperate grip on the head. Anchoring himself with a grip on Deeks' arm, Sam aimed below the jaw, and with two quick slices, managed to separate the eel's head from its body. He let himself float back, and Deeks fought his way free of the sinuous coils. The long form twisted and fell away, out of sight, and Sam made sure to retain his grip on the head. The last thing they needed was for the two segments to reattach, and come at them again.

Not that it would make much difference to Sam shortly, the exertion had shortened the time he could go without air. There was none above them, and there was no way he could make it back the way they'd come before he drowned. Even now, his vision had begun to grey.

Deeks, accustomed to being tumbled and tossed by waves while surfing, recovered his equilibrium quickly. The air bubbles that rose as he exhaled showed him which way was up, helping him to reorient himself. He'd dropped his hand light early in the struggle with the eel, so he pulled out his spare.

Deeks sought out his dive partner, and when his light found Sam's face, he noted with shock that Sam's mouth was a grim line, his regulator gone. Grasping the urgency of the situation, he swam over, and removing his own mouthpiece, he offered it to Sam.

Beyond grateful, Sam took the proffered lifeline. After a couple of measured breaths, he passed the mouthpiece back to Deeks. As they hung there in the water, buddy-breathing and getting their heart rates back under control, silt rose up about them in billowing waves. Soon, they could see nothing but suspended particles all around them, reflecting back their lights; it was like being lost in a snowstorm. They'd survived the attack, but their situation was still dire. They were both air-hungry after the fight, sharing what remained in Deeks' single tank; they'd lost the guide wire, and visibility was nil.

Crap, Deeks thought. Kensi was going to kill him.

* * *

Kensi and Callen stopped when the rocky corridor they were travelling came to a dead end. Dumping her pack on the ground, Kensi looked up at the wide crack that bisected the ceiling; from here, they would have to climb.

They broke out the ropes, harnesses, shoes, and other gear. Thanks to the office climbing wall, they actually felt comfortable with this challenge. Callen set up to belay Kensi, then made a stirrup of his hands, and gave her a boost so that she could reach the bottom lip of the crack.

The two walls of the crack were too far apart for stemming, the practice of bracing a leg on either side, so Kensi had to choose which side to climb. The right-hand wall had better holds, and she was already on it, so she started up that one. At regular intervals, she placed spring-loaded camming devices into small cracks, feeding her rope through the attached carabiners.

When she ran low on cams, she found a spot where she could anchor herself, and prepared to belay Callen. As he worked his way up, he removed the cams and brought them with him. Once he passed Kensi, he began to set the protection points along the next pitch.

Callen reached the top before another belay point was needed. Since they were nearly to their goal, where they were most likely to encounter opposition, he anchored and waited for Kensi to join him before sticking his head above the rim.

As she passed the last protection point, Kensi moved off to the left, putting some space between them. She set two more cams, which would take the brunt of her weight and keep her separate from Callen, if they were both to fall at the same time.

Set, she nodded to Callen, and together they eased up to look over the top edge. Their lights were not powerful enough to illuminate the large open space. She had the impression of walls rising out and away on all sides, which probably gave the chamber its name, the Bowl Room. They were poking their heads out of a crack in the bottom of the bowl.

She shone her light around, but saw nothing but bare rock. Slowly, she levered herself into a standing position. Looking to her right, she saw that Callen had done the same.

'I see it!', he suddenly said, excitement in his voice. She followed his light to a small alcove in the rock wall, where the cat-headed figurine they'd come to find stood in lonely splendor. He'd taken a single step toward it when an inhuman, bloodcurdling scream froze both of them in place.

When the atavistic fear response eased its first icy grip, she snapped her head up to find the source of the terrible sound. A deep, rumbling growl helped her zone in on a ledge high on the wall across from her, at the limit of her light's reach. Eerily glowing eyes shone in the darkness, then she saw ivory fangs as the cougar opened its mouth to issue another of those yowling, heart-stopping screams.

Kensi rapidly considered options, her eyes fixed on the menacing form of the big cat. Just how did one go about fighting a mountain lion? It studied her in return, its unblinking gaze unnerving. The cougar's tail lashed back and forth, and it settled a little further into its crouch. It was about to spring.

She'd better not die, she thought inanely. Deeks was never going to let her hear the end of it as it was.

* * *

'Son of a _bitch_!,' Dean swore, as his knee slammed painfully into a rock. He was getting heartily sick of this place. And oh joy, now he had to crawl on his throbbing knee, as the passage ahead shrank to a four-foot clearance. Again.

Muttering to himself, he negotiated the small space, pushing his pack ahead of him. When the passageway opened up again, he straightened with a groan of relief. His first hint that he'd reached the chamber they sought came when he heard a low, menacing growl issue forth from the darkness on his left.

Dean snapped his head around, his light finding a huge, snarling Rottweiler staring at him, mere feet away. Ice skated down his spine, and hair stood on end all over his body. He'd faced some of the scariest monsters known to creation with aplomb, but dogs still had the power to scare him silly. Okay sure, he'd been stalked and killed by a hellhound once, but really, shouldn't he be getting over that by now?

Then, to Dean's great surprise, the dog's head deformed, folding back to reveal the massive teeth and forked tongue of a Leviathan. 'Fuck me,' he breathed, stunned. A second rumbling growl sounded to Dean's right, and his eyes darted to its source. Another Rottweiler showed its true nature in the same way. He felt a sudden affinity with Ryan Reynolds' character in Blade: Trinity. 'Fuck me, sideways. All that's missing is the damned Pomeranian.'

Actually though, Dean felt fear ease its grip on him. The Leviathan may have meant to intimidate with their monstrousness, but they'd unknowingly given him an advantage. He'd spent a year beheading Leviathan in Purgatory, he knew how to handle them. Granted, he'd never encountered one in anything but liquid or human form, but they were still a known factor. Also, not really dogs.

However, he'd been caught flat-footed. He had no weapon ready to hand, and the two massive black and tan animals were poised to attack. Some Hunter, he thought with disgust. He deserved to get eaten.


	15. Chapter 15 - Done

'Kens,' Callen said, in the quiet, careful voice you use when you're trying to not provoke the dangerous, hair-trigger predator.

'Yeah?', she replied, equally softly. She heard two small pings.

'Fire in the hole.'

Things seemed to happen in slow motion then. She saw the big cat leap toward her, even as she stepped back, out over open space. She saw the two grenades Callen had tossed rise in a gentle arc, and then she was falling; everything snapped into full speed again.

Kensi's breath slammed out of her as she reached the end of her rope, and was abruptly brought up short by her harness. A one-two concussive burst just above her, accompanied by a boil of light and heat, made her raise her arms in an automatic attempt to protect her head. She swung for a moment as the world went quiet again, then reached out to the rock wall next to her.

Ears ringing from the blast in the confines of the cave, Kensi cautiously climbed up to the rim again. She peeked over, not really wanting to see the gory remains of the mountain lion. Her gaze found the body, but it wasn't the red ruin she expected. The blood splattered around the chamber, and all over the tawny fur of what remained of the huge cat, was black.

She stared. It was a Leviathan? They hadn't been told to expect animal forms. But, DNA was DNA she supposed, and if you could retain intelligence as nothing more than a puddle of black goo...

Sudden fear jolted her into motion, as she saw it move. Of course, the damage wouldn't have killed it, it was recovering even now. Kensi scrambled to her feet, and reached over her shoulder for the machete that was strapped to her pack. With it firmly in her grip, she cautiously approached the gooey mound.

The body rippled and heaved, and she could see missing pieces refill before her eyes. She had only moments to act, before it was back on its feet. She had to take the head, but wasn't sure how to get the angle; she'd only practiced on human-shaped Leviathan. She stepped behind it, focused on the section she thought was the neck, and brought the blade down. She missed though, her strike deflected by the bone of the shoulder.

The cat recovered enough to raise its head and snarl at her. Fortunately, that gave her a better target, and her second swing severed its spine. She chopped the head the rest of the way free, then kicked it over the edge of the precipice.

Shaking a little from the adrenaline rush, she looked up to see Callen standing ready to help, if she'd needed it. 'Did you know?', she asked.

'Guessed. No natural cat would be down here.'

'Good guess.' She took a quick look around, 'Any other guardians?'

'Nothing else jumped out; doesn't mean there aren't more around. Let's get out of here.' Callen strode over to the figurine, grabbed it, and stuffed it unceremoniously into his pack.

* * *

Deeks didn't know what to do, but Sam's training had covered these sorts of situations. He checked his compass, which gave him a rough idea of the direction they wanted to go. Facing that way, he indicated to Deeks with a nod of his head that he should follow. Sam swam forward, but also angled slightly to the right. He was soon rewarded with the sight of the cave wall, as they got close enough to it to see it through the clouded water.

Deeks followed Sam, having to stay close as they continued to share the air supply. Sam followed the rock wall, and then, to Deeks' great relief, they came to the tunnel by which they'd entered. Both were careful to not to hold their breath as they swam upward through the passage, exhaling the precious air at a steady rate even though they had none to spare. Air would expand and rupture the delicate tissues of the lungs as pressure lessened, unless it was expelled. Among the first things divers are taught is to keep breathing steadily while underwater; to do otherwise is to risk an air embolism or permanent lung damage.

Finally, they reached the surface, breaking through into open air. Sam hung on the edge of the pool, gratefully pulling in deep draughts of air. That had been entirely too close.

Deeks scrambled out of the water, shuddering, finally free to express his disgust now that the crisis was over. 'Urgh, why did it have to be snakes? I hate snakes!' He pulled the fins from his feet, and moved quickly to his pack and clothes.

'Technically, that was an eel,' Sam corrected, but was too weary for any real teasing. He promised himself he'd get to that later. He hauled himself out of the water, and looked around. Spotting a deep depression in the rock that dripping water had worn, he stuffed the head of the eel into it, and wedged another rock in on top of it. It likely wouldn't prevent the thing from eventually oozing out and back into the water to search out the rest of itself, but it might buy them some time.

'God, we've got to get back to the others and warn them!', Deeks exclaimed. The words were barely out of his mouth when a horrid, inhuman scream echoed faintly through the cavern. They both froze, looking in the direction of the sound. That's where Kensi was, Deeks thought sickly, as another echoing scream chilled their blood.

'I think maybe they know,' Sam said, stating the obvious.

'What the hell was _that_?' Fairly alarmed, Deeks wished fervently for the easy communications they usually enjoyed on missions. But cell phones, walkie-talkies, and even radios were useless in a cave environment, and any kind of wire-based system would have been entirely impractical. They'd had to accept that while separated, they'd be out of contact. Right now, that seemed like a really, really bad idea. His gut clenched when the next thing they heard was the sound of two distant explosions.

Springing into action, Deeks shed the dive tank and jammed his feet into his hiking boots. He didn't bother to change, just stuffed his clothes into his pack. Sam mirrored his movements, though he had the figurine they'd risked so much for to add to his pack as well.

They abandoned the used but still heavy scuba tanks; life-and-death emergencies took precedence over environmental niceties. Moving as quickly as they could given the uneven surface of the cave floor, they headed back the way they'd come.

* * *

His eyes on the nearest Leviathan, Dean felt something soft and squishy get pressed into his right hand. Sam, still on his hands and knees in the low passage behind him, had removed something from his pack and passed it to him.

Back in traditional dog form, the first Rottweiler made its move, lunging at him. Dean used his open hand to slap its head away from him, sidestepping to let the body pass him by. The plastic baggy he'd held in his palm burst against the dog's face, and viscous white goo coated its fur. The dog howled, shaking its head violently as its flesh smoked and burned, eaten away wherever the white stuff touched it.

The other dog started a run at Dean, but Sam rose up from his crouch, and in a move worthy of a Samurai, brought his machete up from ground level, taking the dog's head off from below. Fighting Leviathan was actually similar to fighting a Samurai, he thought. You either won the fight within the first move or two, or chances were, you died. He tossed the weapon to Dean, who quickly dispatched the still-distracted, damaged one. They both sighed with relief at the sudden cessation of the horrible, agonized howls.

'Well,' Dean commented, 'Slime works.' That's what had been in the baggie, a mix of Elmer's glue, water, and Borax. It was lighter and easier to transport than a more liquid form of the Leviathan's bane, and clung to whatever it touched. He kicked the dog's head further away from the body, preventing a quick resurrection.

'Hey, I found it,' Sam said. He picked up the dog-headed figurine, tossing it in his hand to feel the weight.

'Fantastic. Now can we get out of here?', Dean asked. He bent and picked up the second dog's head, which had gotten uncomfortably close to its body. He stuffed it into one of the tough, waterproof bags they'd brought for that express purpose. He repeated the action with the other head, and he and Sam each took one to carry. They were supposed to meet the others back at Thunder Road; the river flowing out of the cave was as good a place as any to dispose of them.

'Should we try to reach the others, warn them?', Sam asked.

'Whatever's gonna happen will have happened, long before we could get there,' Dean replied. 'They're good fighters, they'll probably be okay.'

'I hope you're right.'

'Of course I'm right. They trained under us, didn't they? The Winchester School of Hard Knocks, you can't beat it.' Dean smiled at getting a laugh out of the man who, no matter how tall, would always be his little brother.


	16. Chapter 16 - Dread

Hanging in her harness, Kensi rappelled down, descending from the opening in the roof of the chamber. Deeks was waiting below, standing so close to where she would land she had to be careful not to let her legs swing to the side, lest she hit him. As soon as she was on her feet and had unclipped from the rope, he put a hand to her shoulder and turned her to face him.

Deeks swept his lights over Kensi from head to toe, looking for evidence of injury. The bright color of her cave suit was dulled by grime in places, and by a few black stains on the lower legs. His eyes shot back to her face, and he tipped up his headlamp so that he could meet her eyes. 'You're not hurt? We heard...'

'No, we're fine,' she quickly reassured him. She performed a similar visual inspection on his sleek, wetsuit-clad form. There were no visual tears in the dark suit, but its color would hide evidence of blood. She searched the clear blue of his eyes for any sign of pain, 'You and Sam?'

'All good. Story for another day.'

They almost got lost in each other's eyes, but Kensi realized with a shock that she still had a job to do. 'Oh, I have to belay Callen,' she exclaimed, and stepped back, breaking his hold.

Callen was an experienced climber and could self-belay while rappelling. But, given how far from help they were in the event of injury, and the additional possibility here of being attacked while one's hands were engaged, they'd agreed to a simple fireman's belay. That way, if Callen found himself in trouble, Kensi could just pull down on the slack end of the rope, and cause his descender's device to lock.

Deeks retreated to Sam's side, then stood watching Kensi, checking for any hint that she'd not been entirely honest about being injury-free. But she moved with her usual ease and grace, and he was finally able to relax. Actually, he thought, as reaction caught up with him, maybe he'd just sit down for a minute.

* * *

It was a relief to be heading back out of the cave, rather than further in. However, something had been niggling at Kensi for awhile, and she finally realized what it was. 'I don't like this. It's too quiet.'

'What are you talking about?', Deeks asked. 'A cave has got to be one of the quietest places on earth.'

'No, listen! I can't hear Thunder Road.'

Deeks stopped and cocked his head, but she was right. The constant sound of running water they'd become accustomed to was missing. 'Shiiiit, we have got to get out of here. Like, right now!'

They found a nervous Sam and Dean waiting at the Thunder Road crossing. Dean was down in the channel, where he should have been neck-deep in water. However, there were only still, shallow pools remaining; he hadn't even gotten his boots wet.

Dean shone his light as far up the tunnel as it would reach. 'You seeing this?', he asked the new arrivals.

Callen shone his light in the same direction, but he couldn't see any obstruction either. 'Yeah, not good.'

'I think maybe we misjudged the amount of sand to put in the bag, when we removed the idol.'

'Tripped off some kind of trap, for sure. Let's not hang around and wait for phase 2.'

'Roger that.' Dean accepted the helping hand his brother reached down to him, and clambered out of the depression.

In the eerie quiet the rest got themselves quickly across, worried that the river would come rushing back to fill the tunnel at any moment.

* * *

Deeks was last in line, waiting his turn to climb out of the fairly large chamber, when a vast, low rumble echoed through the cave. Looking back the way they'd come, he saw a wall of water rushing at him. Knowing he couldn't beat it, he flung himself foward, one arm stretched up toward his partner.

Kensi, who was on a flat section of rock at about the height of his chest, reacted fast enough to let them grab each other's wrist, just before the water knocked him off his feet. She was yanked forward as his weight, increased by the pull of the water, hit her. She fell into a prone position, one arm outstretched over the water, the other jammed against rock in a desperate attempt to hold her place. The powerful current tried to twist him out of her grip, and he couldn't bring his other arm around without putting enough additional pressure on their hold to break it.

Sam jumped down behind her, but was unable to get around her on the narrow ledge. Instead, he grabbed her around the waist, anchoring her. No longer needing a hand to brace herself, she scrabbled for an additional hold on the wet, slick sleeve of Deeks' cave suit. Fearing that he might put her welfare over his own, she yelled at him, 'Keep kicking, don't let go of my hand!'

Craning his neck against the water flowing over his shoulders, Deeks looked up at her incredulously, and yelled back, 'Are you seriously quoting Titanic at me right now?'

Despite there being an obvious outlet somewhere on the other side of the chamber, it clearly wasn't big enough to handle the volume of water pouring in; the level was rising. As some of the trapped water flowed back their way, the eddy swung Deeks toward her, and she managed to get a grip on the collar of his suit. 'Got him!', she yelled to Sam, and he hauled them both in.

They quickly climbed up and away from the water, but Kensi was still worried. They hadn't gained much in the way of elevation, and the water had been rising quickly. Also, if she recalled correctly, the next segment of the cave was relatively flat, and had taken them a good hour to traverse the first time. There were even some areas where you had to get down quite close to the floor, to make it through a tight spot.

Such was the nature of the trap; with the river diverted from its proper channel, they might well not be able to make it to the next point of ascent in time. She didn't voice her concerns, though. From the grim faces around her, she could tell they were thinking the same.

'Dump everything non-essential,' Callen instructed them. 'We need to make best speed, if we're going to get out of here alive.'

* * *

Kensi didn't often feel fear, despite her dangerous line of work, but she was feeling it now. Her skin was cold from more than the water that lapped along her sides, as she wriggled through the low spot on her belly. She was sure she could feel the water rising around her, and it was horrid to have rock just above her, keeping her from rising up away from it. This was not how she wanted to die, trapped and airless, deep in the dark.

Spitting out a mouthful of muddy water, she gratefully pulled herself to a standing position on the other side. Now that she was no longer in immediate danger of drowning, she felt a different fear. Two of her teammates had yet to come through, and the water was definitely higher. If only they still had the oxygen tanks!

She was supposed to keep moving, but she hovered near the dark, watery hole, unable to leave without knowing her friends were safe. Light glimmered, then the water sloshed as a sodden backpack was pushed through the hole. She grabbed it and got it out of the way, relieved to see Sam's head emerge next.

Sam took big breaths as he climbed out, confirming her fear that the passage was now underwater. She _hated_ that Deeks was still back there. She just knew he'd volunteered to go last, as his ability to hold his breath rivalled Sam's, but he was more slender and less likely to get hung up in a narrow space. Still, when they got out of here, she was going to kick his self-sacrificing ass until he learned to be more protective of it!

Kensi wasn't aware that she was holding her own breath, until her body forcibly reminded her that it required oxygen. She gasped in one breath, then held it again, until her lungs burned. God, it was taking too long! Where was he? Had he gotten trapped, was he drowning even now? She'd turned to Sam, intent on sending him back in, when Deeks broke the surface with a great gasp. She hurried to give him a hand getting up, subconsciously wanting the reassurance of touch.

'What are you still doing here?', he panted, as afraid for her as she was for him. 'Don't wait for me, Kens. Go, go!'

Not wanting him to see the depths of relief in her eyes, she willingly complied with his wish. 'Come on Deeks, I can beat you to the top without a head start,' she tossed back over her shoulder, in a lame attempt at their usual banter.

He'd play along, if it would keep her moving. 'Not a chance! Watch your six, babe, 'cause here I come.' As she moved off, he took a surreptitious moment to stand, bent over with one hand braced against the wall, and just breathe. He still felt light-headed, and knew he'd come perilously close to passing out. He was never, ever going to tell her that, though.

* * *

They were wading through waist-deep water by the time they came to the steep slope where Deeks had nearly fallen. It was a great relief to be able to climb, but it wasn't easy. Sam and Deeks, who were still wearing their wetsuits under their clothes, were the only ones not shivering uncontrollably. Now they were grateful for the rope, even if they had trouble grasping it with hands stiff and awkward from the cold.

They took a brief but necessary break at the top. The exertion had been nearly non-stop since they'd entered the cave, and that coupled with the strength-draining effects of extreme cold had them all exhausted. They were soaked, and hypothermia was a real concern. When Callen felt himself wanting to give in to the siren call of sleep, he rousted his team and got them moving again.

The last push to the surface was grueling. They had the incentive of the still-rising waters behind them to help keep them going, but it was the greatest test of endurance they'd faced in years.

To her vast relief, Kensi recognized the final chamber, the one with the ladder leading to the surface level. However, scattered around the base of the ladder were rocks, some large and some small, that hadn't been there before.

Dean, who was closest, moved to the base of the ladder and shone his light upward. 'Uh oh.'

'Phase 3?', Callen asked.

His light hadn't penetrated far, because the hole was now blocked, choked with rock. 'Yeah. We're trapped.' Even as he spoke, the first runnels of water crept over the rocky floor.


	17. Chapter 17 - Daylight

'Sam,' Callen said, 'tell me you didn't dump the explosives.'

'G, those are never considered to be non-essential.' They both knew that he would never leave ordnance behind, where an innocent civilian could run afoul of it. A bit of chitchat was just the partners' standard way of coping with a stressful situation.

'Thank god for that. Take a look, can you get us out of here?'

Sam took Dean's place below the blocked hole. He poked at the rocks, dislodging a few small ones, but couldn't get enough purchase to shift anything larger. 'Maybe,' he told Callen. 'We brought the charges with the intent of collapsing a tunnel behind us, if we needed to cut off pursuit. I have enough demolitions training for that, but safely opening up a vertical hole? I can't promise anything.'

'Do what you can, it's the only hope we have.'

'I'll set it up. Find a spot further back to take shelter.' Sam opened up his soggy pack, taking out the waterproof bag that held the explosives. They hadn't expected the packs to get submerged, but they'd known they'd be going into a damp environment, and that wasn't the best thing for even the type of charges they'd brought. Water-gel explosives were used for mining in caves because they were resistant to wet conditions. That didn't mean that they wouldn't soak up too much water if left in it too long, though.

He took out the Detagel, the jelly-like explosive mixture feeling squishy within the fat, white, sausage-like casings. Estimating how many he'd need, he then looked for places to set them. He returned to digging at the loose bits of rock within the fall, trying to make enough space to insert the explosives.

When he was done, he attached detonation cord to each one, then put them in the spots he'd chosen. Then he backed away, playing out more detcord as he went. There was too much water on the floor now to completely keep the detcord out of it, but fortunately it could withstand that for a short time, provided it was initiated from a dry end.

Sam retreated until he reached the place the others had chosen, which was around a corner from the main chamber. Everyone was crouched down low, with their hands ready to cover their ears. Sam attached a blasting cap to the cord, then looked at Callen for permission to proceed. Receiving a nod, he shouted, 'Fire in the hole!', and set it off.

The reaction flashed along the detcord, and then came the massive boom as the explosives blasted through the rock surrounding them. A choking wave of rock dust blew into the tunnel where they'd taken shelter, making everyone cough. They waited a bit for the worst to clear, then made their way forward to find out if they were going to get to see daylight again.

There was a great deal more loose rock on the cave floor now, which was a positive sign. And the roof hadn't collapsed, also good. Sam had been a little worried about that. He shone his light up into what was once again an open hole, but he could still see some rock further up. It looked loosely packed though, which meant it could fall on them if disturbed.

No choice, this was the only way through; they had to try. He picked up a broken segment of the metal ladder, and reached up with it, poking and prodding. After a minute, he hit the sweet spot, and had to jump back as a fresh shower of rocks cascaded down. This time, when he returned to look up the shaft, nothing blocked the beam of his light but floating motes of dust.

The opening was there, but more narrow than it had been. And they couldn't tell if it went all the way up. The ladder had been destroyed, so someone would have to climb the shaft, and rig a rope to help the others. However, Callen and Kensi were no longer properly equipped for climbing. They'd dumped much of their gear, keeping only a couple of ropes for emergency use; this certainly qualified.

Callen was the best climber in the group, so he volunteered himself. Free-climbing meant that if he fell, there would be nothing to catch him. He hoped there wouldn't be any further rock falls to knock him down. Tying one end of the rope around himself, he started up. He climbed barefoot, because even numb, cold feet could get better purchase on small holds than ones encased in hiking boots.

Below, the group waited with bated breath, standing in water now up to their knees, straining to hear the small sounds that would help them gauge the success of Callen's efforts. After a small eternity, Callen called down that he was through, and to start sending people up.

As quickly as they could, they complied. One by one, they used the rope assist to climb their way out of the hole. This time Sam was left to come last, because Kensi told Deeks that unless he stayed close on hers, she'd have his ass frozen in carbonite and mounted on her wall. 'See, I knew you loved me,' he responded to that, giving her the tired ghost of his usual cheeky grin.

Once up, eagerness to reach outside air gave them a final bit of energy. At long last, dim light ahead showed them the cave entrance. After all that had gone wrong, Kensi feared that the gate would have been sabotaged, locking them in. But the fickle gods seemed to have decided to smile upon them for once. One by one, they spilled out into the grey light of pre-dawn. Open space all around, and the faintly glowing sky spread vast above them, was a balm to their weary souls.

* * *

They stumbled only a short distance from the cave mouth before collapsing to the ground. Dean, swaying with exhaustion, stayed on his feet and lifted his face to the heavens. 'Cas! Castiel, we did what you wanted, now come and get these damned things.'

If they were about to hand over their prizes, Deeks was curious to see the one he and Sam had retrieved. He'd never even gotten a look at it. He dragged himself erect, and plodded over to where Sam had dropped his pack. After freeing the figurine, he straightened and held it up. 'Whoa, this is heavy.'

'I can take that now,' came a voice from directly behind him. Exhausted as he was, Deeks still managed to be startled. 'Geez!', he exclaimed, turning so quickly he nearly fell over.

'I believe I have an equal claim,' came another voice, once again from directly behind him. Deeks dodged again, trying for a spot where he could see both of them. 'Come on! Really?'

Dean looked at the ground, fighting a grin. He had to admit, when it wasn't happening to him, that was pretty freakin' funny. It wouldn't do to let Cas know he thought so, though. It would ruin the game.

Castiel and Crowley faced off, angel to demon, and everyone watching could sense the power these two held; the air practically hummed with it. The others climbed wearily to their feet, in case things were about to get ugly.

'I will take the relic to a safe place,' Castiel intoned. A soft breeze plucked gently at the trenchcoat he wore, but the angel himself stood utterly still, an immovable object incarnate.

'Now, see, I have a problem with that,' Crowley said, in an oh-so-reasonable tone. 'I bargained in good faith, granting you the power you needed. In return, I am to be given possession of this particular item.'

In a sudden move, Crowley reached out and attempted to snatch the statuette from Deeks. There was a brilliant flash of blue light, and the demon king was blasted across the clearing.

Deeks, blinking to clear his vision but otherwise unhurt, asked, 'What happened?'

'If I may?', Castiel asked, and stretched a hand toward the figurine. Deeks held it out to the angel, but Castiel stopped before he touched it, then withdrew his hand. 'It seems we have come too late. She has chosen her champions.'

Crowley stalked back toward them, seething. 'You right bastard,' he snarled at Castiel. 'You knew this would happen! That's why you picked them.' He pinned each pair of humans in turn with his stare. 'Agape,' he said, looking at Dean and Sam. 'Philia,' that was Callen and Sam, 'and Eros,' Deeks and Kensi. 'You knew just what would appeal to her, you practically offered them up on a plate!'

'Now wait just a damned minute,' Dean broke in. 'Cas, what the hell is he on about?'

'The artifact has been activated,' Cas replied. 'None but the ones to whom it is keyed may touch it.'

Deeks looked at the piece he held like it was about to bite him. 'What does that mean, keyed?'

'It means, tag, you're it,' Crowley told him. 'Welcome to being a Chosen One.'

Well, that didn't sound good. Chosen Ones didn't always fare so well, when it came to gods. 'How do we get untagged?'

'You die.'

'Um, not so fond of that option. Any other way?'

'You complete the ritual.'

'You mean summon Hecate, that ritual?'

'Yes, numb nuts, that ritual. She's decided she likes you, and she wants to dance.'

Deeks sighed with resignation. 'Then you're not sending us home, even though we did what you wanted?'

Crowley looked supremely unconcerned. 'Couldn't even if I wanted to, which I don't. Hecate owns you now, and she's not letting you go until she's through with you.'

Dean turned on Castiel, 'Cas, is this true?'

The angel looked resigned. 'I'm afraid so. There is nothing I can do.'

'Well, that's just great. Really, just...' Punching the air with a clenched fist, Dean appeared to be searching for a word to adequately describe how he was feeling, but ended up falling back on his trademark, '..._awe_some.'


	18. Chapter 18 - Castiel

Sam, figuring his brother would be muttering obscenities for awhile, asked the question he wanted answered. 'Would someone please explain about the designations Crowley gave us? I recognized the Greek names for different types of love, but I don't get the context.'

'Different types of love?', Kensi asked.

Sam gave her a brief rundown of the meaning of each one. 'Agape is a selfless, unconditional type of love, the type often felt by a caregiver, a parent, or,' he glanced at his brother, 'a sibling. Philia is the type of love felt between friends, non-sexual but marked by great affection, loyalty, and honor between equals. Eros you've probably heard of, being linked to both the physical, sensual side of love as well as to the romantic.'

Kensi couldn't maintain eye contact with Sam. She looked off to one side, trying very hard not to blush again. 'Um, okay, thanks. Good to know,' she muttered.

'Let me lay it out for you, Moose,' Crowley offered. 'You seem to think that your high-and-mighty friend over there is looking out for you, but he's just as manipulative as I am. Actually,' Crowley sent a mocking bow toward Castiel and doffed an imaginary hat, 'it was a move worthy of a demon. Maybe you'll come to play for our side yet, eh old boy?'

Castiel looked at Crowley with a haughty, disdainful air, but didn't attempt to defend himself.

Crowley turned back to Sam. 'To put it bluntly, he set you up. He figured out what would give Hecate a hard-on, and went shopping for just that. She's a girl, so she's got a built-in weakness when it comes to love, and she's also got this thing for threes. Waving 3 pairs of humans under her nose, which represent 3 of the classic types of love, would just about guarantee that she'd bite.'

'So, that's why he picked us?', Deeks asked, carefully not looking at Kensi. They'd been tagged as Eros, romantic love, eep! How was he going to explain that, when angels, demons, and gods all agreed upon it?

'You qualified in other ways, but yes, I'd say that was the primary consideration. No wonder the Leviathan couldn't find candidates that would activate the artifact. Love would be a foreign concept to them; explains why I didn't see it sooner, too.'

Crowley stalked over to Castiel and got right in his face, though he had to look up to do so. 'You tried to screw me again. Don't think there won't be repercussions.' And then, Crowley was just gone.

Now Dean lost it. 'Cas, what the _hell_? Is he right? Did you set us all up as sacrificial lambs for some ancient bitch?' His already deep voice was resonant with affront.

'Best show some respect, Dean,' Castiel replied. 'You don't want to piss her off.'

Dean moved into the space Crowley had vacated, but being taller, ended up nose to nose with the angel. Green eyes bored into celestial blue.

'I'll show you pissed off.' He gesticulated angrily, indicating the group with a wave of his arm. 'You've been screwing with all of us, right from the start. You never even asked!' A thread of hurt laced his voice, 'After everything, Cas, really? How could you treat us like this?'

'I'm sorry, Dean. I did what I thought was best.'

Dean was back to cold fury, 'And that's your problem, right there. You're always deciding for everyone, what the best thing is. Then you just proceed to pull everybody's strings, like you've got the _right _to decide for us. Didn't your little stint playing God teach you anything?'

Kensi stared at the man who was oh-so-casually dressing down an angel, and getting away with it. Damn, Dean was on fire. She'd rarely seen such passion, in anyone.

'You owe all of us an apology, at the very least,' Dean continued. 'And then you're going to do whatever you can to help us get out of this situation you've landed us in, got it?'

'Yes, Dean.' Castiel looked around at the group, meeting their eyes one by one. 'I apologize. I will do whatever is in my power to correct my error in judgement.'

Wow, Kensi thought. Dean had totally just dominated an angel. Whew, that was kind of hot!

'Allow me to begin by restoring you,' Castiel said, staring into Dean's eyes. He laid his hand along Dean's jaw, and Dean suddenly got a beatific look on his face. He took a deep breath, and a step back. Everyone watching could see that Dean now stood tall and strong, showing no signs of his earlier exhaustion.

Castiel turned to Sam, who seemed to know what was going on and stood quietly waiting. Castiel touched two fingers to his forehead, and Sam too drew a deep, relieved breath.

Then it was her turn, and she fought a sudden urge to bolt. What was he going to do to her? From the corner of her eye, she saw Deeks take a protective step toward her, radiating concern. But then those fingers touched her forehead, and for an eternal instant, she was lost to awe. Light washed through her, filling every fiber of her being with warmth and power. She felt renewed, reborn, revitalized. Every ache and pain vanished, and she was suddenly bursting with energy.

Kensi opened her eyes, not sure when she'd closed them. Castiel was moving toward Deeks, who was looking at her, silently asking if she was okay. She nodded reassurance, and he turned to face the angel, ready for whatever might come. She got to watch his face as he underwent the transformative moment, and sucked in a reverent breath at the beauty of it.

Castiel proceeded to heal Callen and Sam, then he turned to Dean once more. 'I will research the matter, but I believe that the ritual will have to be completed, to free you of Hecate's claim. Meet me at the Crossroads Church in Loveland, at midnight, three days hence.'

With a flap of invisible wings Castiel vanished, just as the light of the breaking dawn washed over them all.

Kensi suddenly shuddered, then began to shiver again. A Colorado mountain morning was not warm to begin with, and now that she was no longer numb with exhaustion and cold, her sodden, chilly clothing had become extremely uncomfortable.

Deeks, always aware of her, noted her discomfort. 'There's no reason to hang around here any longer, right?'

As if to support his point, a sudden gout of muddy water burst forth from the mouth of the cave. Callen, reminded of the danger of drawing attention to themselves in this area, agreed. 'Right. Let's head back to the B&B, get cleaned up, and tuck into a hot breakfast.'

Everyone expressed hearty enthusiasm for that plan, and they started to work their way down the trail toward the cars. No one noticed the large black dog that watched them go, then got up from its haunches and trotted off into the woods.

* * *

Crowley reclined in his armchair, enjoying a cigar and a celebratory drink. The flap of wings heralded a new arrival, one he was expecting. 'Hello, ducks.'

'I'm forced to admit, that was a laudable performance, Crowley,' Naomi said. 'Castiel is awash in guilt, and you've got Dean and the others convinced that everything is his fault.'

'Yes, I was rather good, wasn't I? Though I can't take full credit for Castiel; all your tinkering in his noggin has him thinking the whole thing was his idea in the first place.'

'The plan is almost complete. When you, I, and Castiel take the place of the petitioners in Hecate's ritual, we will control the outcome. It won't matter which team wins her approval, any or all; we will be the ones who decide upon the boon to be requested.'

'I love it when a plan comes together,' Crowley quoted an old TV show, grinning around the cigar clenched in his teeth. 'We make a pretty good team.' He gave her a lascivious wink, 'It's been a pleasure doing business.'

Naomi looked at him with disgust. 'Don't make me gag, Crowley. You are a necessary evil, nothing more.'

'All evil is necessary, pet. How else would good be able to perceive itself, if not by its shadow?'

'I think you mean stain,' she responded disdainfully. 'I have been sullied enough by your presence. I shall see you at the ceremony.' She departed as abruptly as she'd come.

'It's good to be needed,' Crowly mused, satisfied. 'Particularly by those who hate it so.'


	19. Chapter 19 - Hidden

They'd checked out of the B&B, and everyone else was outside. Dean had ducked back into the kitchen to steal one more of owner's truly exceptional blueberry muffins. On his way out, he passed the mostly closed door of her office, and overheard something that made him stop in his tracks.

'Why yes, officer. We've had a group of hikers here, the past couple of nights. They just left...'

Dean didn't wait to hear any more. He blew through the outer door, and ran down the steps. 'Mount up, folks!', he called to the others. 'We need to make tracks.'

'What's up, Dean?', Sam asked, getting into the passenger seat as his brother jumped into the driver's side of the Impala.

'The Leviathan are infiltrating local law enforcement again. They've got the word out...'

'...looking for whoever violated their sanctum,' Sam finished his sentence with a groan.

Dean pulled out of the B&B's parking area, the other two cars following him. 'Little miss helpful back there is telling Officer Friendly everything she knows about us, right now. We are definitely going to ping on their radar.'

'Damn, we're gonna need to find a place to lay low for a few days. We're too distinctive as a group, and they'll probably have an APB out on the cars within the hour. Think they'll put something up on the local news?'

'Depends on what cover story they come up with, I guess. Even if all they have are general descriptions, we have to assume it won't be safe to show our faces anywhere around here. Crossing state lines is out, too; there may be roadblocks. Give Garth a call, maybe he knows of someplace we can hole up.'

Sam dug out his cell phone, and dialed their fellow Hunter. 'Garth, hey. It's Sam.' He laughed, 'Yeah, good to talk to you too. Listen, we could use your help. We're in Colorado, we've pissed off some Leviathan, and now they're hunting us. Do you know of anyplace we could hide out until the heat's off? We just need to buy a few days. Oh, and we have four other people with us.'

Dean interjected, 'Tell him no abandoned mine shafts, no bunkers, hell, no basements. I'm not going below ground level for anything short of an F5 tornado for at least the next month.'

Sam ignored his brother, 'Yeah? That could work. Okay, get back to us when you know.' He hung up, then told Dean, 'Head southeast, toward Deer Valley. Garth knows a guy over there, who runs a dude ranch. He owes Garth a favor, so maybe he'll put us up.'

'Dude ranch. Like, with horses? And cows?'

'Touristy place, Garth said. Big, lots of amenities.'

'Oh yeah, we'll blend.'

'Well, at least it's remote. And people go to places like that to get away from the world, so we'll have a better chance of going unnoticed.'

They drove in silence for a bit, until Sam's cell phone rang. Sam listened, then said, 'That sounds ideal, Garth. Thanks, buddy.' He hung up, then proceeded to fill Dean in on the details.

'Okay, so Garth says this guy would actually be happy to have some help. They've had a flu virus run through the employees, and they're short-staffed at the moment. We can pose as temp workers, and hide in plain sight. People are less likely to look past the uniform.'

'Oh god, there's a uniform? It better not be some hokey cowboy outfit.' He sighed, 'Better let the others know what's going on.'

Sam dialed again, 'Callen, hey. So, you guys are good with undercover work, right?'

* * *

Kensi squinted in the bright sunlight, but didn't reach for her sunglasses. She was as hungry for the light as she was for the sensation of the wind that blew through the car's open windows, tossing her hair as she drove. The radio was cranked, blasting rock music loud enough to be heard over the wind. It was the antithesis of dark, still, and quiet, and she was loving it.

It also meant that she and Deeks couldn't talk about their experiences in the cave, or the weirdness that followed, just yet. Which was fine with her; she needed this break, to just stop thinking about it all for a bit. She glanced at Deeks, to find him staring out the window with a pensive frown. He seemed to be thinking rather hard, and she was content to leave him to it. There'd be plenty of time to find out what was going on in that head of his. He was never quiet for long.

* * *

The ranch was situated in an isolated valley, deep in the mountains; everywhere you looked, the view was breathtaking. The place was huge, able to accommodate up to 100 tourists at a time. It was no wonder they required so many employees, especially as, in such an upscale place, visitors would expect to be catered to. There were many activities for the tourists to enjoy, including horseback riding, hiking, and fishing. There were also ATVs available for those that preferred them to horses, as well as hot-spring heated pools for anyone just looking to relax.

They arrived just in time for lunch, during which the foreman, who'd been briefed, interviewed them to determine their skill sets. They were to be given food and board for their efforts, and paid a small amount, under the table. The foreman wasn't particularly happy about the situation, but it wasn't his call, and he respected his boss; he would trust his judgement.

The uniforms turned out not to be awful. They could wear their own jeans, along with a provided starched white shirt with the ranch logo on it. There was also a red bandana, which they could wear as they liked as long as it was evident. Dean, who would be putting his mechanic skills to good use on maintenance of the ranch's vehicles, planned to use his as a grease rag.

They started immediately after lunch. Kensi and Deeks had gotten positions in the luxurious spa. She worked in the reception area, and Deeks was in his element helping with the kiddie classes in the pool; kids just loved him. Sam and Callen were working retail in the gift shop, and handling equipment rentals. Sam's noticeably tall form was kept mostly out of sight as he helped in the kitchen.

There was what amounted to a motel in a shaded area, away from the main buildings. This was the employee accommodations, and they'd been given three small rooms. As soon as they were released from their duties that evening, Sam and Dean retreated to theirs. Dean relaxed with a beer, while Sam booted up the computer to do more research on Hecate. Now that they had the actual artifact, he'd been itching to see what he could find out about it, specifically.

* * *

About an hour later, Sam asked Dean to contact Kensi or Deeks, to ask them to bring their segment of the artifact over. Each team was keeping one close by, in a gym bag provided by the resort. No one wanted to see what would happen to a mere human if they touched one of the figurines, after the way it had blasted Crowley.

Sam got up to use the washroom, and looking in the mirror, he realized that he had a food stain on his shirt. He'd walked back into the room and was unbuttoning it, when there came the expected knock on the door. He started to button up again, but a grinning Dean held up a hand to stop him.

'No, no,' Dean said in a hushed voice, 'leave it. Trot out the bod, man. It's for a good cause.' Clearly, Dean was bored, and looking to needle Deeks again. He had it in his head that Deeks needed to be pushed, to be given incentive to take the plunge and make a move on Kensi.

Sam shook his head ruefully, but figured this was better for Dean than brooding over Cas. So, he left the shirt hanging open and went to answer the door. As he opened it to Kensi, Dean grabbed a duffle bag and called out, 'Toss me that shirt, Sam, I'm putting together a load of laundry.' Sam looked back over his shoulder, then casually shrugged out of the shirt. He half turned and lobbed it at Dean, then faced Kensi again. 'Hi,' he said.

He came across as something of a gentle giant, and had a tendency to slouch a little, so it was easy to forget just how big he really was. But now, faced with all that naked chest and chiseled muscle, Kensi was heart-poundingly aware of the sheer power of the male that stood before her. Holy god, he was ripped, she thought with something akin to awe.

Deeks actually saw Kensi lose her train of thought, watched it get shouldered aside by pure female appreciation of truly spectacular scenery. And given what was directly in her line of sight, he couldn't even blame her, damn it. He was very reluctantly impressed, himself.

'Come on in, I'll just get a fresh shirt,' Sam said, then turned and walked away.

The view from the back was just as impressive; double damn it. Deeks spoke up, since Kensi hadn't yet recovered the power of speech. 'We just stopped by to exchange statues?'

'Yeah, I wanted a chance to examine each of them in detail. I'm trying to figure out what else we might need for this summoning ritual,' Sam said. He picked up the dog-head figurine and, still shirtless, brought it over and handed it to the bemused Kensi. 'Thanks,' she said in a slightly breathy voice, giving him the snake-headed one in return.

'Come on, Kens,' Deeks said, a little sharply. 'Put your eyes back in your head, and let's go.'

That snapped Kensi to attention, and Sam saw her eyes flare with indignation. Then they narrowed dangerously, as she slowly turned her head to look at Deeks. He prudently and immediately started backing away. Hefting the statuette in her hand like a weapon, she turned and stalked toward him. 'Oh, like you're one to talk, always ogling every poor woman over the age of...', then her voice was cut off as Sam closed the door.

Dean half-bent and slapped his thighs, laughing. 'God, did you see his face? Did you see hers? Oh, that was priceless.'

Sam grinned, giving in to amusement. 'Okay, that was kind of fun.'


	20. Chapter 20 - Preparations

They were all called upon to work late the next day, as the ranch put on its monthly BBQ and bonfire night. Kensi was working behind the counter of an outdoor sundae bar, putting together whatever fantastic concoctions the kids could dream up. During a lull, she looked around, reestablishing her situational awareness.

Nearby, she noticed that one 14 year-old girl had started playing with her plastic cup, running through the motions of the cup song from the movie Pitch Perfect. Fascinated, other kids demanded to be taught, and she was soon running a tutorial. Before long, she had five others who could more or less keep up with her. They sat at one of the picnic tables, three on each side, practicing. Another girl, a little older, stood at the end of the table and started singing the song from the movie. When they got through two whole verses of the song without a bobble, clapping and cheering broke out from the crowd that had gathered around.

Kensi had been enjoying the little show, but made sure she was far enough away not to be caught on any of the cameras or phones pointed in that direction. The performance was no doubt being posted on YouTube even now. The song they'd been singing, You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone, made her think about how, if this ritual tomorrow worked, they'd hopefully be going home. And they wouldn't see Dean or Sam again.

Already nostalgic, she looked over to where she'd last seen Dean, and found that he was still manning one of the big BBQ grills. He noticed her looking at him, smiled, and gave her a little salute with the spatula. She smiled back, and lifted a hand in a return wave. She quite liked him, he was cocky, fun, and dangerous; her kind of guy. If she wasn't already so into Deeks... Kensi stopped mid-thought. Whoa, where had that come from? She wasn't 'into' Deeks, not like that. Was she?

Kensi felt her heart begin to race as fear pumped adrenaline into her system. No, no, she couldn't be. Okay, sure, she'd entertained a few harmless fantasies. But come on, the guy was hot! Who wouldn't? She'd never let it go too far though, at least during her waking hours.

Damn it, damn it, she couldn't afford to get even more attached! She was already too afraid for him when he was in danger on the job, or in creepy otherworld caves. And let's face it, she was cursed. Every man she let herself love disappeared from her life in one way or another. She couldn't lose him too, she just couldn't.

Kensi continued to smilingly serve ice cream to the guests, but could no longer see the appeal of the stuff. She was having to fight attacks of the shivers. When had the night turned so cold?

* * *

Sam carried another tray of meat from the kitchen out to Dean, at the grill. As he walked, he avariciously eyed the large-flame tiki torches surrounding the big patio. Having a gun-metal grey, wide-mouthed cup, they looked far more like real torches than the usual bamboo ones, with a flame at least five times as large. They were definitely going to have to take a few for the ritual tomorrow night, as Hecate scorned any form of illumination except fire. Sam wasn't sure what the torches cost, but resolved to leave behind a day's pay, as recompense.

There was no way Dean would allow the used torches in the Impala, he knew. They wouldn't fit in the trunk and even emptied out, they would still smell of oil and might carry enough residue to leave a stain. Sam would feel the same about the Charger, he was sure, so Kensi and Deeks would have to take them. They'd just have to travel with the windows down, if the fumes got to be too much.

* * *

The next morning, Sam continued with preparations, asking Callen to pick up some lavender from the gift shop. That, plus the honey and garlic he'd purloined from the kitchen, would have to suffice as offerings to the goddess. He'd labored to find the appropriate wording for the spell, as there was much conflicting information on the internet. Using the artifact as a reference, he'd picked out what he thought was the correct ritual. However, he'd ultimately emailed James Frampton, a witch he and Dean actually trusted, for confirmation.

Years back, James had been a cop that saved their lives on a case, after which he'd become interested in the occult, and learned to use witchcraft to help him in his career as a detective. More recently, his sometimes-doggie familiar had called upon Sam and Dean for help when another witch had tried to frame James for murder. They'd ended up saving his life, but he and Portia had still had to leave town. Sam had kept in touch though, and was happy to have this resource available to question about the ritual.

It all seemed too simplistic to Sam, accustomed as he was to the twisty Latin phrases and pomposity of the rituals born of the Christian religion. But, James assured him that what he had was fine, that Hecate was more concerned with intent than form. Still, he'd feel better if he double-checked with Castiel, before they began. Accordingly, once they'd been released from their duties for the day, he was anxious to hit the road. They had at least a three hour drive ahead of them, and he wanted to be sure they had enough time to get set up, before midnight.

* * *

Deeks straightened from cramming the last of the Tiki torches in the car, and leaned his forearms on the roof. Kensi, who'd been helping from the other side, closed the car door then checked her hands for oily residue. Behind her, Deeks saw Sam and Dean approaching, and nearly groaned aloud. What was it with these two, were they trying to make him look bad? He was still dressed as a ranch employee, but they were all spiffed up, wearing dark, well-tailored suits. He switched his attention back to Kensi, to catch her reaction when she saw them. She loved men in suits, he knew.

Sure enough, when they entered her line of sight, her eyes widened and then a big smile spread across her face. 'Lookin' good, fellas!', she called out. 'What's with the fancy duds?'

Dean gave her a saucy grin, and pulled something out of his inside jacket pocket. 'Special Agent Donegan, at your service ma'am,' he said, flipping open a set of forged FBI credentials.

Sam, speaking to Callen's offended look, explained, 'It's the easiest way for us to get access to crime scenes and insider information, when we're working a case. Today, it's in case we get pulled over, or if we need to clear people away from the site of the ritual. Plus,' he said with a slightly self-depreciating smile, 'it doesn't hurt to look your best, when you go begging favors from a goddess.'

'Oh crap, you're right!', Kensi exclaimed. 'Hetty would have my hide if I showed up like this. Give me five minutes to change!', and she rushed back to the room.

'Okay seriously, who is this Hetty, and what is with the fear factor?', Dean asked.

'Henrietta Lange,' Callen answered him. 'She's our Operations Manager, and probably the closest thing we have to a goddess in our world. She's a pint-sized dynamo, only 4'9, but she can easily intimidate someone as large as Sam here.' Sam nodded emphatic confirmation.

'She's scary smart, and we're not sure if she's semi-omniscient, or just telepathic. She's a benevolent provider for the most part, and we love and respect her greatly, but we are also very leery of incurring her wrath.'

'Well, hell,' Dean laughed. 'And here I thought you'd find meeting Hecate a novel experience.'

* * *

The Crossroads Church was located on the northeast edge of the town of Loveland, and was backed by a large cemetary. The steps of the church were empty when the headlights of the Impala swept past as they pulled into the parking lot, but when Sam and Dean got out of the car, they saw Castiel standing on them. Sam grabbed his notes and hurried over, breaking up the staring contest that had already developed between Castiel and Dean.

'Hey, Cas,' he greeted the angel. 'Any luck getting us out of this ritual business?'

'No, Sam. I have found no other way to turn her interest from you.'

'Okay, well, thanks for trying. Would you mind taking a look at what I've put together, here? Let me know if I got it right?'

'Of course,' Castiel said, taking the folder. Within moments, he handed it back to Sam. 'Yes, that will do. It is well in line with the research I have done.'

Accustomed to Castiel's powers, Sam was not disconcerted by the speed of the evaluation. 'I assume there's an appropriate crossroad we can use, somewhere near here?'

'Yes, three roads meet at the center of the graveyard behind this structure.'

'Ah, very appropriate. We'll just get the torches and...', suddenly talking to empty air, Sam cut short what he'd meant to say, instead finishing with, '...I guess we'll meet you there.' He ran the rest of the way up the steps, and confirmed that the church doors were locked. Good, no witnesses.

* * *

Leaving the cars in the lot, they followed a dirt road into the graveyard. Kensi and both Sams carried three torches each, while Dean, Deeks, and Callen lugged the gym bags containing the artifact segments and offerings. They used the headlamps left over from their spelunking to light their way. They were all thinking of their time in the cave, as it was very dark indeed in the quiet countryside. Even if the sky hadn't been overcast, this was the night of the new moon.

When they reached the crossroads, they set up the torches in a wide ring around it. Once they'd been lit, all artificial sources of light were put away. Sam briefed the others on their roles, giving each their lines to say. They took out the three segments of the artifact, and put them together in the way they were obviously meant to fit. Then they set the reassembled artifact in the center of the crossroads, and stepped back.

'So, who stands where?', Deeks asked Sam. 'Does it matter which part we're facing? Should it be the section we retrieved?'

Sam hmm'd, unsure. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten to consider that part. 'Castiel?', he asked, as if the angel were standing right there.

Deeks immediately put his back to Kensi's; he wasn't about to be caught off guard again. But, the angel wasn't playing.

Castiel simply materialized facing Sam, in the same position he'd been when their last conversation had been aborted. 'You should respect that as much as possible, yes. But you also must be in the pairs that fit the assigned designations.'

'Okay, no problem for me and Dean, we found the dog-headed segment together.' Sam turned to Callen, 'Your teams were differently mixed when you found the other sections, though. Any insights as to which should go with whom?'

'Well, the first person to touch them doesn't help, because Sam and I collected both pieces. Maybe we should base it on who the guardians initially went for? That would be Sam and Kensi.'

'Actually,' Deeks spoke up, 'I would have been the first to touch the snake-headed segment with bare hands. And I was the one who got up close and personal with the eel.'

'And would have pitched a sissy fit over it after, if we'd had time,' Sam teased, remembering the disgust his dive partner had displayed. 'Deeks is afraid of snakes.'

'And Dean is afraid of dogs!', Sam exclaimed, drawing a 'Hey!' and a glare of protest from his brother. 'Face your fears, that makes sense.'

'But I'm not afraid of cats, and I don't think Sam is either,' Callen said.

'Were you afraid of the lion?'

Callen paused, thinking of the horrid sound the big cat had produced, and how it had frozen them in place for a moment. 'Okay, fair point.'


	21. Chapter 21 - Summoning Hecate

There were only minutes now, until midnight. They stood in a loose circle around the artifact, which sat in the middle of the crossroad. Castiel stood a little further back, behind Kensi and Deeks, but with his eyes upon Sam and Dean.

Callen broke the uneasy silence, 'So, Sam. Did your research tell you what we can expect to happen, once we've performed this summoning?'

'Only in a general sense; from what I could gather, Hecate will test us in some way, but the form that will take will be specific to the individual. If we manage to please her, we may request a boon.'

'And that's when we ask to be sent home, right?'

'Yes, we're agreed on that. You guys have gone above and beyond, risking your lives to help us out. Seeing you safely home is the least we can do.'

'And we won't see you again, will we?', Kensi asked quietly.

Sam looked at her with regret, 'It's not likely, no. I'm sorry for it, we'll miss you.'

Kensi felt her throat ache with grief, 'We'll miss you, too.' She left her position in the circle to go give Sam, and then Dean, a hug.

Deeks followed Kensi, offering a handshake to each of the men in turn. 'It's been trippy, guys. I'm glad I got to come along for the ride.'

Dean clapped a hand to Deeks' shoulder, 'You took to it like a natural, man. You'd have made one hell of a Hunter.'

'Thanks, but I'll stick to hunting ordinary, run-of-the-mill bad guys. Your lives are too crazy, even for me.'

'You'd be amazed at what you can get used to,' Dean told him. He glanced toward Kensi, 'But I understand wanting to get back to a good thing.'

Deeks nodded and moved back to his place by Kensi's side, making way for Callen and Sam to say their goodbyes.

When everyone was back in place, Sam cleared his throat. 'These tests we'll have to face; I should probably warn you, they may be fairly brutal. Hecate is not known as a gentle goddess. She likes to delve into the psyche, shining the light of her torch into the darkest recesses, exposing secrets even you may not be aware that you harbor.'

'Exposing? Like, to everyone?', Kensi asked. She didn't like that idea, at all.

'No, I don't think so. More like, she'll reveal parts of you, to yourself. She is, ultimately, a guide. The Y-shaped crossroad we stand on represents divergence; the path you've already travelled, and the possibilities that lie before you. She wants you to see where you're currently heading, and where you might go instead. The test will have something to do with making choices, that much is clear.'

'Hard choices, I take it,' Kensi said in a dry voice.

'Given her reputation, I'd say yes, definitely. A case of the fastest route to the truth being the hardest path. She wants your choices to be informed ones. But, for that to happen, you need to be aware of what lurks in your unconscious mind, influencing you.'

Deeks raised an eyebrow, 'So, know thyself?'

Sam grinned at the Matrix reference, 'She can only show you the door, you're the one who has to walk through it.'

Callen's interest was piqued, 'Plato's Allegory of the Cave?'

Sam turned to him, impressed, 'Indeed, very appropriate.'

'What's that?', Deeks asked.

Callen explained, 'It's about perception vs reality, the shattering of illusion. Imagine a group of people who've been chained in a cave all their lives, unable to turn their heads. All they can see are shadows upon the wall, projected by puppeteers behind them. Then, one prisoner gets free, and learns that the shadows do not represent reality at all. He can now see the true form of things.'

Deeks quoted The Matrix again, 'Free my mind. Right, no problem.'

'What the prisoner then has to face is, did he prefer his perceived reality to the real one? Would he rather never have known? Because now that he does, even if he tried to go back, how could he bear that existence?'

'In taking the red pill,...'

Sam rejoined the conversation, '...you learn what you would perhaps have preferred not to know. That's basically what we're doing now. In summoning Hecate, we've all just agreed to take the red pill.'

Kensi gulped, 'Okay, but there's one thing I still don't understand. Why do we need to be in pairs? It sounds like the tests will be individual?'

Castiel spoke up for the first time, 'Both members of the pair will face a similar choice, though it may be more relevant to one than the other. In this particular ritual, in order to win Hecate's favor, both must choose the same path.'

'Think like Deeks? Oh sure,' Kensi rolled her eyes. 'Piece of cake.'

* * *

With the awareness that midnight was upon them, a hush had fallen over the group. The night was very still, the only sound the hiss of flames from the nearby torches.

Kensi was staring down at the artifact, wondering whether they were supposed to just begin, when startlement sent her reeling back with a gasp. The statuette had suddenly become a statue, becoming life-sized in the blink of an eye. The pedestal at the base had also expanded, and there was now room for two people to stand on it, before each of the stone women.

'Whoa!', Deeks exclaimed. 'You didn't tell us to expect that.'

'Didn't know,' Sam replied, as taken by surprise as anyone. 'But we're clearly doing something right. It's time, go ahead.'

'Right. Okay, here goes nothing.' Deeks took out the piece of paper Sam had given him earlier, and angling it to get enough light, began to read. 'Hecate, Dark Goddess of the Moon, Mistress of Magic, heed us. Bring your torch to bear, that we may be freed from the shadows and reborn in light.'

As he spoke, Kensi stepped forward with the first offering, a symbol of love and purity. She laid the small pot of dried lavender at the foot of the snake-headed lady.

Sam went next, while Dean placed the jar of honey, symbolic of fertility and wisdom, before the dog-headed figure. 'Hecate, Queen of the Night, Mother of Witches, we beseech thee. Cut through the mists of doubt and delusion, that we may choose our path with clarity of mind and heart.'

Then Sam made the final offering of garlic, representing protection and eternity, while Callen spoke the third incantation. 'Hecate, Queen of Death, Goddess of the Underworld, we implore thee. Unlock that which is hidden, reveal that which is secret, and grant us the courage to embrace our truths.'

Then, all together, they intoned, 'Hecate, Hecate, Hecate, we invoke thee. Come forth, and bestow thy blessing.'

There was a pause, then a long, eerie howl rent the quiet of the night. Every head snapped in the direction of the sound, which was back along the road by which they had come. Then a second howl sounded, from the direction one of the other roads led. Then a third, from the third path.

Sam noticed that his brother had stiffened, and gone a little pale. 'That's supposed to happen,' he quickly explained. 'Hecate's hounds announce her impending arrival. It's working.'

Dean glared at him, 'You might have mentioned that sooner.'

Sam shrugged sheepishly, 'Sorry, my bad.' But Dean's attention wasn't on him anymore, it was all for the three massive Rottweilers that trotted into the ring of light. Sam put a hand on his arm, to stop his automatic move for a weapon. 'No, Dean! They're hers, and she will not tolerate any harm to them.'

Having recently fought Leviathan in that form, Dean wasn't so sure, but the dogs didn't attack. They moved into position behind each pair, then simply stood there, as if to prevent them from leaving. Dean really didn't like having one at his back, and kept his head partially turned so that he could keep an eye on it.

Even so, he couldn't help but turn to look when light suddenly flared at the center of the crossroads. The three torches borne by the stone women had spontaneously burst into flame, which Dean took to mean that the goddess had arrived. The symbols each woman carried, the rope, dagger, and key, also began to glow with a soft, golden light.

Though they hadn't expected these manifestations, Sam and Dean understood that this was their cue to step forward, onto the pedestal. Long accustomed to following the structure of ritual, they moved without hesitation. Following their lead, Sam and Callen did the same.

Deeks held out a hand to Kensi, a gesture she recognized. He'd offered her his hands before, silently asking her to trust him to pull her out of a cage of laser beams and clear of the ensuing explosion. He didn't have to ask, she trusted him above all others. Agreeing that whatever they had to face, they would face it together, she put her hand in his. Then, in unison, they stepped up onto the platform.

Instinctively understanding what to do next, each of them reached for the object closest to them. Sam, Sam, and Deeks each closed a hand over the base of a torch. Kensi touched the stone depiction of a rope, Dean the dagger, and Callen the key. Immediately, they all froze in place, mesmerized.

Now Castiel moved, invoking a second part of the ritual that was not widely known; one which, in accordance with Naomi's instructions, he hadn't discussed with Sam. He stepped up beside the dog that stood behind Kensi and Deeks and spoke, 'I declare these champions before me as my own. They do petition on my behalf, and any reward I shall claim.'

Behind Sam and Dean, Crowley materialized, and spoke the same words.

Naomi appeared behind Sam and Callen, but before she could open her mouth, the dog next to her turned and sank its fangs into her leg. She screamed and thrust her angel blade into the dog's back. Though the weapon glowed with light, it didn't deter the animal. It growled, and then black liquid began to ooze around the edges of the wound it was inflicting on her.

Both Castiel and Crowley attempted to intervene, but found themselves locked in place. They were a part of the ritual now, and would not be released until it was over.

Still screaming, Naomi tried to wrench herself free. The dog let go, and with a frantic flap of wings, she vanished; fleeing back to heaven. The Leviathan morphed into a human form, and repeated the final words of the ritual. Suddenly, their enemy had a stake in the game.


	22. Chapter 22 - Kill Me

The first thing Callen was aware of was that his head hurt. He tried to raise a hand to check for a lump, and discovered that his arm was restrained. Shock snapped him to full awareness, and he was suddenly conscious of his whole body, which was in a seated position, bound to a chair. He open his eyes, and immediately wished he hadn't, for the scene which greeted him was straight out of his worst nightmares.

'Welcome back,' Sidorov said. 'We have been waiting for you, so that we can start our little game.' He was standing between two more chairs, which also held bound prisoners: Sam and his wife, Michelle. The chairs were angled partly toward Callen's, and partly toward each other. Callen wanted to ask questions but something was in his mouth. He could see that Sam and Michelle were also gagged.

Sidorov placed a hand on the shoulder of each of those he stood beside. 'These two have betrayed me, which of course cannot be tolerated. And, as the fair Michelle has broken my poor heart in the bargain, the punishment must fit the crime. So, one shall die, and the other must live with the pain of lost love, just as I must.' Sam's eyes widened, and Callen could see his muscles straining against his bonds. Michelle drew a sharp breath in through her nose.

'You too must suffer, for you are not innocent in this,' Sidorov continued, now speaking to Callen. Sam and Michelle were both wearing flak vests, and Sidorov undid one side of Sam's, peeling back the front panel to show Callen what lay beneath. 'This,' he said, pointing to a device fastened to the inside of the vest, 'is a small but powerful explosive. It is a shaped charge, and will blow a fist-sized hole into the flesh.' He closed the vest up again, settling it so that the device rested directly over Sam's heart.

'This,' and he held up a trigger mechanism, 'is a dead-man switch.' He walked over to Callen, and forced open his clenched fist. Putting the device in his hand, he placed the switch under Callen's thumb, and forced his hand closed. There was an audible click, and Sidorov smiled nastily. 'There, both vests are now armed.'

Sidorov stepped back, and Callen could now see a synchronized digital display on both vests, showing 3:00 minutes. Or they had, they were counting down. 'Now, Mr. Callen, you will choose between your friend, and his wife. This is how it works. When the counter runs out, one of the charges will go off. Which one will depend on the state of the switch you hold. If you keep the switch closed, your friend will live. Let it go, and he dies, she lives. So, all you must do is hold on, or let go. Very simple, yes?'

Callen stared at him in horror. This Russian bastard couldn't seriously be asking him to make such an impossible choice? But deep down he knew, Sidorov wasn't going to give him an out.

'I understand this is a private moment, I will leave you to say your goodbyes.' Sidorov removed Sam's gag, but not Michelle's or Callen's. Then, giving them one more poisonous smile, he left the room.

Sam coughed, then immediately began to plead with Callen. 'Just drop it, G. Please. Think of my kids, they need their mother. I'm begging you G, just let it go.' The counter was already down to 1:17. So little time!

Callen's thoughts were scattered, panicked. Of course Sam would choose Michelle, and of course he should respect his friend's wishes. But that meant Sam would die. Callen had no family of his own, the people he worked with were the ones he loved best in the world. And there was no one he was closer to than Sam. They were brothers-in-arms, best friends. How could he be responsible for Sam's death? How could he live with that?

Michelle's agonized gaze was fixed on Sam's face. A single tear slid down her cheek, and Sam's panic doubled. He threw himself furiously against his bonds, but couldn't break free. The counter was down to 0:34.

Sam turned back to Callen, truly desperate now. 'G, listen to me. You've got to do this, you've got to let it go. Please, _please_.' His voice broke, and he looked over at his wife. 'She's my world, G, I don't want to live without her.' The counter was down to 0:16. 'God, god! G, if you've ever loved me, you'll do this for me. Do it now, _now_!'

Callen closed his eyes, unable to bear any more of Sam's agony. He focused on his hand, on his fingers, willing them to open. He held his breath, knowing that time was about to run out, he had to let go, just let go, let go...

There was a muffled thud, and a sudden silence. Then he heard an agonized howl, as Sam reacted to his wife's death. He'd failed his friend, he'd been unable to grant him his ultimate wish, to sacrifice himself for his beloved. Callen opened his eyes, and made himself look at the result of his choice. Sam was going to hate him forever, but he was alive, and Callen hoped that he'd be able to go on, that his children would be enough to hold him together.

Callen wanted to tell Sam how sorry he was, that he wished he was a stronger man, but even if he'd been able to speak, Sam wouldn't hear it. Sam was never going to listen to him again. In fact, there was every chance that Sam would kill him, as soon as he was free to do so. Callen wouldn't fight it, if so. He deserved whatever Sam wanted to do to him.

* * *

From his rooftop perch Sam sighted down the barrel of the sniper rifle, focusing in on Callen. 'I see you, G.', he said, knowing Callen could hear him through the earbud. Callen was bound to a chair, and it chilled Sam's blood to see that he was wearing a vest of explosives. This op had gone so badly wrong, and now Callen was in deep trouble.

Callen had gone undercover, posing as a terrorist this cell had been expecting, whom the NCIS team had intercepted. Callen roughly resembled the man he'd gone in as, and their intel told them that the members of the cell knew their contact only from photographs.

Everything had gone fine at first, and Callen had found out what the terrorists were targeting. But then an unknown woman had shown up, a sister to one of the men, and she'd known that Callen was not who he was supposed to be. Caught by surprise when she raised the alarm, Callen had been captured.

'We've got Swat setting up to come in after you,' Sam told Callen.

'No! Keep them out,' Callen responded urgently. 'I don't know if you can see them, but there are canisters of nerve gas in this room; something like Sarin, but even more fast-acting. If these guys are threatened, they'll trigger my vest, and the gas will be released. Anyone in this building will die.'

'They won't leave you alive for long,' Sam warned him.

'I know it,' Callen replied quietly. 'We can't let them leave here, Sam. They've already got other caches of explosives and the gas in place, waiting to be set off.'

'We'll intercept them on the way out. Just hang tight.'

'You know that won't work, Sam. As soon as the first one goes down, one of his buddies is going to make a phone call, and trigger at least one device.'

'We'll figure it out. Our people are working on it.'

'Pop quiz, hotshot. You have a room full of terrorists, sitting next to a room holding both a bomb and a deadly nerve agent. What do you do? What do you do?'

Sam swallowed hard. He recognized the quotes from the movie Speed, as Callen had intended. The next line from the movie that jumped into his head was, 'shoot the hostage'. Callen was offering to sacrifice himself, in order to save the most lives. If Sam set off his vest, the terrorists would be paralyzed or killed, preventing them from hurting anyone else.

'There has to be another way,' Sam pleaded with his friend. 'Don't make me do this, G.'

'Believe me, I'd love to hear a viable option right about now. But we're out of time. You heard the plan, they'll be leaving any minute. They're each heading to a different location, to film the devastation they're about to cause. We can't let it happen, Sam. Not if we can do anything about it.'

'Then we'll let them get clear of the building, and pick them off one by one.'

Sam could see Callen shake his head sadly. 'Won't work. They've got someone staying behind, monitoring the team the way Eric and Nell keep tabs on us. It's all or nothing Sam, and it's got to be now.'

Sam's heart ached, but he knew Callen was right. This plan would have only one good-guy casualty, but that one was Sam's best friend. And he'd have to be the one to take him out, there wasn't time to hand the task off to anyone else. Besides, he wouldn't trust anyone else with taking this particular shot, not when it was so important.

'I'm glad it will be you, Sam,' Callen said, as if he'd read his mind. 'Don't draw this out, okay?'

'Nell,' Sam said, grasping at straws, 'what does Hetty say?' But there was no response from ops. 'Nell?' He saw Callen look over his shoulder at the door.

'They're coming, Sam. It's now or never.'

'G,' Sam said in a broken voice.

'I know, me too. Say goodbye to the others for me.'

'Yeah. You ready?'

Callen looked out the window, toward the spot he knew Sam must be, 'Just do it.'

Sam exhaled, steadied himself, and fired.

* * *

Sam and Callen remained entranced, but the torch of the lady they stood before guttered and went out.

Crowley hid his relief behind a smirk. 'Oh, too bad old chap,' he taunted the Leviathan. 'Hung jury, no cookie for you.'

The Leviathan scowled, then attempted to leave. However, he found himself rooted to the spot.

'Ah ah, no leaving before the final verdict,' Crowley told him. 'Court remains in session.'

The Leviathan's gaze swung to Castiel, Kensi, and Deeks. Castiel had contained the Leviathan for a time, when he'd absorbed souls from Purgatory. They'd escaped him, but retained a deep knowledge of the angel. A master negotiator himself, Crowley could practically smell the scheming.

But of course, manipulating Castiel would only be of use if his champions prevailed. Crowley scoffed at the very idea, 'What, Malibu Ken and Ball-buster Barbie, the Eros collectables? He's in, she's in denial. No way they're on the same page.' This brought the Leviathan's glare back to Crowley.

'You're out, they're a lousy bet, but my boys?' Crowley's voice had taken on a note of proprietary pride, 'These two have been sacrificing themselves for each other from day one. I hold the winning hand here, and when I come up Aces, I'm sending you and all your slimy siblings back to Purgatory. So enjoy your last moments on Earth Fang-face, 'cause when it's game over, you lose.'


	23. Chapter 23 - Let Me Die

They'd lost. Somehow, despite their best efforts, the Leviathan had gotten through to the goddess and been granted a wish. They'd thought the monster would ask for the rest of its brethren, including their leader Dick Roman, to be let out of Purgatory. But no, this one had something else in mind. It laughed maniacally, then morphed into a 20 foot tall, 3-headed Hydra.

'Oh, unfair,' Dean breathed. Surely this was breaking some kind of cosmic rule? You couldn't take the one great weakness of a monster and just get rid of it! They'd take over the world! Oh, right. That would be the plan.

'Dean, what do we do?', Sam asked, equally freaked. 'We can't cut the heads off that thing, it'll just grow more!'

'How should I know? You're the one who memorizes Greek myths, how do you kill a Hydra?'

'Uhh, you have to keep the heads from growing back somehow, cauterizing them with fire or acid.'

'We would need a fire truck that sprays Borax foam, to keep up with that thing.'

'You just asked how it's done, not how can we get it done.'

Dean flashed on a scene from T2, where the liquid-form Terminator had been frozen and then shattered into pieces. 'Great, where's a tanker full of liquid nitrogen when you need it?' But, Dean thought, maybe that was a better idea. If they could somehow do it catastrophic damage, then somehow prevent the pieces from reintegrating, then...

Dean's frantic speculations were cut off by more immediate concerns. The Leviathan had focused on them, and now it attacked.

Sam and Dean dove in different directions, barely avoiding the snapping heads. But they'd bought themselves seconds only; they had no weapons capable of hurting it, not anymore. And the speed of the thing! Evasion was not going to be an option either, Dean realized. Oh, they were so screwed!

Then Dean was suffused with relief as he felt himself grabbed by Castiel, and transported away. Cas dumped him unceremoniously in the church parking lot, and went back for Sam. Dean wasn't so far away that he couldn't hear the monster roar with frustration as its prey was snatched from it.

Cas flashed back into existence, but the person he carried was broken and bloodied. Gently, Castiel laid Sam on the ground at his brother's feet.

'Sam!', Dean cried out, falling to his knees. 'Christ, Cas, what are you waiting for? Heal him, already!'

'I have tried, Dean. I cannot.'

'_What_?! What do you mean, you can't?'

'This new form of Leviathan has inflicted wounds of a mystical nature. My powers have no effect. I'm sorry, Dean. Sam is dying.'

'No! No, that's not happening. We're not going to let that happen. Take him to a hospital, right now!'

'His injuries are too extensive. He would not survive. Dean, you must say goodbye. You have moments only.'

'No,' Dean moaned, but he turned his attention to Sam, taking his hand.

Sam rolled his head toward Dean, and opened pain-filled eyes. 'Dean?', he whispered.

'I'm here, Sammy. We'll fix it, don't worry.'

'S'okay, Dean. My time. Don't fight it.'

'Don't say that, Sam! I need you. We have to find a way to beat these new-and-improved Leviathan. You don't expect me to do that alone, do you?'

'Got Cas. Can do it. Without me.' Sam's eyelids fluttered as he fought to stay conscious.

'Don't go, Sam. Please. _Please_.' Dean's voice broke as grief strengthened its hold on him.

Sam weakly squeezed his hand and refocused, meeting his eyes. 'Sorry, Dean. Wanna stay. Can't.' He managed a faint smile, 'I'll say hi to Bobby for you...'

Sam's eyes closed, and Dean felt the fingers of the hand he held go lax. 'Sam! _Sam_!'

Castiel laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, 'He's gone, Dean.'

Suddenly furious, Dean surged to his feet, knocking Castiel's arm away. 'Why'd you leave him, back there? Why'd you take me, and not him?'

'I judged you to be in more immediate danger.'

'Don't give me that! You picked me, because you wanted to! But if you really cared about me, you'd have saved the person I care about most. You'd have saved Sam!' He was hurting Cas, he knew, but right now he wanted to. He'd failed the most important task in his life, protecting his brother, and Cas had failed him, by having different priorities.

'Dean, I...'

'I don't want to hear it. Go away, Cas! I can't even look at you right now.' He turned his back on the angel, gratified to hear the flapping noise that told him Castiel had obeyed his command.

Dean stood looking down at the still form of his brother, feeling empty. He sensed more than heard another person come up to stand beside him.

'Tsk, such a shame,' Crowley said, also looking down at Sam. 'Struck down in his prime. But hey, what can you do?' He turned to Dean, lips curved with an evil little smile. 'Unless, of course, you'd care to make a deal?'

Dean shouldn't, he knew that. Sam would kick his ass for even considering it. Not to mention the fact that Crowley would make Dean his bitch for the next umpteen millenia, and that would just suck ass.

But, if Crowley was offering, did that mean that Sam hadn't made it to heaven? Was he in Crowley's domain, once more subject to all the torments of hell? Dean felt his stomach go hollow. He couldn't leave Sam there, he'd suffered far too much as it was.

Dean had already sacrificed himself once, to bring Sam back from death. His time in hell had been horrific, but surely nothing compared to what Sam had endured, trapped in a cage with Lucifer and Michael, two exceedingly pissed archangels. Sam had sacrificed himself to save the whole world, preventing Lucifer and Michael from fighting and kicking off the apocalypse. Surviving unscathed, Dean's guilt had been epic; if only he'd found some other way, Sam wouldn't have had to do that.

No, Dean decided. There was no way he was going to fail his brother again. He hadn't been able to save Sam's life, but he could save his afterlife.

'Sam goes to heaven, that's the deal.' Dean said, without looking up.

'Oh yes,' Crowly agreed. 'I can guarantee that.' A contract popped into existence in his grip. 'Just sign here...'

* * *

'Cas! Cas, come to me, please! I need you!', Dean cried out, panicked. He'd seen enough grievous injuries in his life to know that his own were fatal. Without some divine intervention, he wouldn't survive even long enough to make it to a hospital.

But Castiel did not appear. Instead, a frantic Sam crashed to his knees by his side, and moaned with despair as he saw what Dean already knew.

'Oh god, Dean!' Moving as carefully as possible, Sam gathered Dean close, supporting his head and shoulders.

'Did it work?', Dean asked, not wanting to have given his life for nothing.

'Yes,' Sam reassured him, 'it's dead, and everyone got out. You did it.'

'Good. You're okay?'

'I'm fine, I'm not hurt. Dammit, Dean! Why didn't you wait? I could have...'

'You could have gotten killed, too. Too risky, better this way.'

'No it damned well isn't! How can you say that?'

'If you're safe, it's better; trust me on that.' Dean had been looking out for Sam his entire life, it seemed. Or at least since his father had thrust his 6 month old brother into his arms, and ordered Dean to see to his safety. Because their mother hadn't been able to do that anymore; she was plastered to the ceiling, burning along with their house. And his father, after that, had been too consumed by his search for the demon that had killed her and corrupted Sam with its blood.

The grief and terror of the moment that had effectively stolen both their parents had seared his father's command into Dean's soul. That determination had only been reinforced when his father would leave them for long periods, trusting Dean with Sam's care.

Then, when John sacrificed his life and soul to keep Dean alive, one of the last things he'd told Dean was to look out for his brother; even to the point of killing him, if the evil in his blood were to take him over. Dean channeled his survivor's guilt into making sure that didn't happen, not on his watch. Keeping Sam safe had become his primary motivation; nothing, nothing mattered more. But, that didn't mean there weren't regrets.

'Tell Cas... Tell him...', Dean looked away, but Sam had seen the telltale sheen of tears in his eyes. Damn Cas anyway, why wasn't he here?! What was the point of having your very own guardian, healing angel, if he wasn't there when you damn well needed him?

'I know... He knows... I will,' Sam choked out. He shoved his rage aside, he could take that out on Cas later; after he broke whatever the angel used for a heart. For now though, Sam wanted all his focus on Dean, for as long as he was still here.

Dean looked back at Sam, locking eyes. He spoke with great intensity, 'You promise me, Sammy. You promise to let me go. No deals, no spells, no heroic measures; not this time.'

'But, Dean...'

'No!', Dean had to pause and cough, gasping with pain. As soon as he was able, he continued, 'I know I got pissed that you didn't look for me when I was in Purgatory, but this is different. I won't be MIA, or stuck in hell..., at least, I don't think so.' He smiled wryly, and Sam's heart lurched to see that his teeth were rimmed in blood.

Dean gently reminded him of the time they'd both been in heaven, before. 'I'll be waiting for you at the Roadhouse, with Bobby, Ellen, Jo, and the others. But I don't want to see you there for another 50 or 60 years, got it?'

Sam's eyes stung at the names of their dearly departed, and he hated the thought that Dean would soon be among them. But Dean was waiting for a response so, his throat too tight for speech, he just nodded.

'Say it. Promise.'

Sam forced the words out past the constriction, 'I promise.' He felt a terrible tension leave his brother's body, and he knew. Dean could let go now. Holding his breath, Sam looked deep into the green eyes that were losing their focus.

Dean's final words came out slurred, 'M'proud of you, little broth...' And, like a light going out, Dean simply wasn't home anymore.

Shaking with the onslaught of crushing grief, Sam cradled his beloved body. It didn't matter how many times it had happened before, and thanks to Gabriel's Groundhog Day trickery, it had happened a lot. But the pain of losing his brother cut just as deeply, every time. And thanks to his promise, there wasn't anything he could do about it.

No, Sam was going to have to face a life without Dean, again. And he knew that, if he was going to honor the true spirit of that promise, he'd have to do his best to make something of his life. He couldn't drift aimlessly, wallowing in despair as he'd done when Dean had been missing and presumed dead. This time, he would have to lay Dean to rest, and find a way to be okay with that. And he would, he silently promised his departed brother, he would. In just a few more minutes...

* * *

'Bollocks,' Crowley muttered sourly, seeing the torch illuminating Dean and Sam sputter out. No way Squirrel hadn't heroically thrown himself under the bus, so, 'Fine time for Moose to grow a pair.'

The Leviathan he'd bragged to smirked at him, making his blood boil. He couldn't believe his fine plan had come to this. They were down by two, and dependent now on agreement between the bickering bimbos? Craptastic. Why couldn't he ever catch a break?


	24. Chapter 24 - Bereft

Deeks was dying. God, he was so terribly hurt, and he was calling out to her for help. But, she found to her utter horror, she couldn't move! Somehow she knew that she was not truly in the same plane of existence as he, that although she could see and hear him, he was unable to perceive her. And she could not act in any way to help him, she was a witness only, for all that she strained with everything she had in her to reach him. She screamed in frustration and terror, but made no sound. Helpless, she could only stand and watch him struggle to take one more breath.

Kensi felt an icy wave of realization wash through her. How had she not seen that everything she purported to want in a man had been right there by her side, all this time? She hadn't been on a date in how long? Why would she, when she was getting all her needs fulfilled by her partner, except for those she herself had declared off limits? And hadn't he been offering to see to those needs too? Time and again, albeit couched in humor so as not to spook her.

How had she not seen how dedicated to her he'd been? Any other man would have given up on her, long since. But not Deeks, not Marty. He'd been there for her in every way she'd allowed him to be, and was always pushing at her boundaries, trying to give more, wanting more. She'd held him off, refusing to permit herself to even see what a treasure he was, refusing _him_, again and again.

Kensi sobbed in despair. God, she was such a coward! She'd been consistently cruel to someone who was completely undeserving of such treatment, all because she was afraid. She'd been too scared to let herself love him, because she feared losing him. But somehow she never realized that she'd loved anyway, and all she'd done was hurt them both by denying them permission to express it.

And now she _was_ losing him, and the pain of that was not one iota different than it would have been if they'd been a couple in truth. Instead, she was being buried under a mountain of guilt, soulsick at the thought of all the time they could have had together, of the love they could have shared.

And the very worst of it, the part she'd never ever be able to forgive herself for? He was dying alone, not _knowing _how she felt! She'd squandered every opportunity, refused every chance, and now that she was desperate to tell him that she loved him, it was too late. She'd made the wrong choice, she'd let fear control her, and now he was paying the price. God, she'd give anything to be able to go back, to have another chance, to make a different choice!

Tears pouring down her face, she watched his struggles diminish, his body relaxing into death. As life drained from his beautiful blue eyes, all she could do was mourn, regret, and love him.

* * *

Nerves fluttering in her belly, Kensi opened the door.

'Wow. Kens, you look...' Gorgeous, she was gorgeous. Dressed in a flirty little sundress, her hair flowing over her shoulders; she took his breath away.

She blushed a little at the blatantly admiring look he was sending her, and turned her face up for a kiss. He willingly obliged, then, barely giving her a chance to lock up, he tugged her eagerly toward the car.

'C'mon, we don't want to miss the sunset.' He knew of a secluded little beach that was just perfect for their date. Driving along, thinking of her and the evening ahead, he failed to notice that he'd picked up a tail. The car continued past when he turned into the small parking area, but pulled over just a short way down the road.

Getting out of the car, Kensi turned her face into the warm rays of the lowering sun, enjoying the salty smell and gentle breeze coming off the ocean. She felt her hand grabbed again, and laughed as she was pulled along once more.

He led her down the worn wooden staircase, and onto the sandy shore. He was in luck, the ocean was a calm, flat expanse, and the few surfers that frequented this spot hadn't bothered to come; they had the place to themselves. Searching out the best spot, he laid out a gaily colored blanket and began to unpack the picnic he'd brought.

Kensi sat and folded her legs under her, content to watch him work. She loved the way he cared for her, it made her feel special, valued. He began to offer her bite-sized pieces of food, and she daintily ate them from his fingers, occasionally getting in a teasing lick and enjoying the way his eyes darkened.

When they were sated, he pulled her close and together they watched the sun paint the clouds in hues of rose and gold as it slipped toward the horizon. As it sank into the sea, he rose and tugged her to her feet. Leading her to the water's edge, he stopped and turned toward her. Keeping hold of her hand, he sank to one knee and she gasped, realizing that this was no ordinary date.

His voice deep with emotion, he popped the question, 'Kensi, love. Will you marry me?' With the hand that wasn't holding hers, he offered up a box holding a beautiful ring.

Kensi's eyes flooded with tears, and she choked out her answer. 'Yes! Of course, yes!'

He surged to his feet and enveloped her in a mighty hug, then kissed her breathless. Laughing, she pulled away to insist that he get that ring on her finger, already. Wanting to do it right, he dropped back to his knee and took the hand she stretched out to him. Holding her eyes, he slowly slid the ring home, laying claim to the most beautiful, incredible woman he'd ever met.

Before he could rise again, Kensi put a hand to his shoulder and applied a gentle pressure, keeping him in place. 'I have a surprise, too,' she responded to his quizzical look. Taking the hand that had just placed a ring on her finger, she placed the open palm over her lower abdomen. He sucked in a shocked breath, and she nodded. 'We've already started a family. I'm pregnant.'

'Oh my god, Kensi!' Awe and joy suffused his face, and he pulled her down into his lap. Holding her face in his hands, he kissed her with such gentle reverence it brought tears to her eyes once more. 'I love you so much.'

'I love you, too.' His kisses increased in fervor, and she sank into his embrace. 'Ooh, oh! _Dean_!'

Deeks could take no more. Heart breaking, he stumbled away from the place where he'd lain concealed on the bluff above, barely able to see for the tears flooding his eyes. It was true, he'd really lost her. He didn't get far before he fell to his knees, unable to breathe for the intense pain in his chest. It felt as if the razor-edged pieces of his shattered heart were tearing through his lungs. He curled forward, convulsed by the all-encompassing agony.

How had he let this happen? He didn't even have the excuse of having to maintain a professional distance as Kensi's partner; they'd failed to please the goddess, and remained stuck in the alternate universe. Dean and Sam had been great, helping them adjust and continuing to train them as Hunters. But Dean had openly pursued Kensi right from the start, challenging Deeks' supposed claim on her.

And Deeks had failed to make his own interest sufficiently clear to Kensi. Sure, he'd continued with his campaign of jokes and innuendo, but she'd clearly preferred the direct approach. And, when he realized that she'd slept with Dean, he'd faltered, confidence destroyed. From that point, he'd pretty much let Dean woo her uncontested, while he withdrew into his own little world where he could nurse his feelings of hurt and betrayal. God, he'd been so stupid!

Now it was too late, they were committed, with a baby on the way! Oh god, Kensi was having a little ninja warrior, but its fighter lineage would be Agent/Hunter, not Agent/Cop. Another man would help to raise Kensi's children, and the thought sent another wave of debilitating pain ripping through Deeks' soul.

At least Dean was a good man, strong, principled, and incredibly loyal, especially when it came to anyone he considered family. He was also a skilled fighter, far better able to protect his loved ones than most, in this world of deadly creatures. Kensi had chosen well, he had to give her that. And he wanted her to be happy, really he did. He'd just wanted her to be happy with him!

Maybe someday he could find it in himself to be okay with it, to even be friends with the man who'd replaced him in Kensi's affections. But that day was far in the future, and right now, he had to get away. Far, far away. He'd take what he'd learned, and become a Hunter himself.

He'd check with Sam; perhaps he'd be interested in a new partner, now that his brother would be settling down. If Sam wasn't ready to leave soon, he could meet up with him later. But Deeks couldn't stay here, he couldn't face the lovey-dovey couple. He didn't want to mar Kensi's happiness, didn't want her to see his misery. She deserved to enjoy the happiness she'd found.

Yes, he was going, Deeks concluded. Just as soon as he relearned how to breathe, and figured out how to function with a gaping hole where his heart used to be. But right now he needed a few more moments, to mourn, to regret, and to wish with everything in him, that he'd chosen a different path.

* * *

To Crowley's considerable surprise, the torch of the lady standing over Castiel's champions suddenly flared high and bright. They'd been successful? How very unexpected. But it seemed they had indeed, for Castiel disappeared, presumably whisked off to some other realm to consult with the goddess.

Crowley would be worried that Castiel would exert some of that free will he was so fond of, and change the deal again, but the angel should be back under heavenly control. He had to trust that Naomi's mind-controlling influence was sufficient insurance against an additional betrayal.

He experimentally tried to move, but found he was still stuck in place. He glanced down at the big Rottweiler beside him, to find it had relaxed, and was regarding him with what amounted to a doggie grin. Crowley smiled. He liked dogs, and he freakin' loved the way they scared the pants off the legendary Dean Winchester. 'Good boy,' he told it, knowing how his own pets loved praise.

He glanced over at the Leviathan who'd come to the party disguised as one of Hecate's hounds. He must have killed the dog, to take its place. He'd bet Hecate would have something to say about that. He knew how he'd feel if someone messed with one of his hellhounds - he'd be righteously _pissed_!


	25. Chapter 25 - Wish Fulfillment

One moment Castiel had been staring at the flaring brightness of the torch illuminating Kensi and Deeks, and the next, he was standing on a vast, empty plain. Nothing moved; it was completely quiet, completely still, and the only source of light was the pale glow of the sky.

He was not alone, however. Some distance away, impossible to tell how far in this featureless place, stood a breathtakingly beautiful woman. She towered over him, perhaps three times the height of his current, vessel-clad form. Her eyes held the same glow as the sky, and tendrils of her long, blonde hair floated about her shoulders, riding on wisps of power.

She spoke in a resonant blend of at least three distinct voices, young, middle-aged, and old. 'Welcome, Castiel.'

'Hecate, I presume.' He could sense her power, its vastness like a glimpse of eternity. He almost shuddered at the feel of it brushing up against his Grace, a sensation both familiar and alien. He'd held power akin to this once, but had not been constructed to contain such; he'd lost himself for a time. This being did not share his weakness though. This was a god, but she was not his god.

'Indeed. I am pleased with your offering. It has been long since I was so well entertained. And you, yourself,' she paused, and seemed to be looking at something beyond the visible. He felt her power sift through all that he was, as her hair lifted and danced. Arms outstretched, she spread her fingers as though she held her hands beneath the cool rushing liquid of a waterfall.

Her head fell back, and she actually laughed. 'Hmm, Castiel, how I would love to bathe in the cascade of all your possibilities! You and your two companions have walked at the center of a mighty storm, shaping reality to your will, defying prophesy and forging paths unforseen. You have rebelled against heaven, rejected godhood, forsaken the comfort of your own kind, and cleaved unto the brilliance and beauty of a single human soul. Oh Castiel, how you love!' She winked at him, leaving him a little stunned. 'And yet, not as well as you may.'

He really didn't know what to make of her, or understand what she expected of him. His head cocked in the way it so often did when Dean baffled him, and her laughter rang out anew.

'Yes, you are a delight. I am happy to grant you your request. Tell me, Castiel, what is it you wish of me?'

He felt words rush to his tongue, but before he could speak, he hesitated, unsure. It felt like he was forgetting something.

Hecate frowned at him, then waved a hand. 'You may choose freely here, Castiel. I will tolerate no outside influence in this my realm.'

And Castiel's thoughts were suddenly crystal clear, his mind freed of fetters he hadn't known were there. He still wanted what he'd almost asked for, to send the Leviathan back to Purgatory, but he also wanted to right another wrong. He couched his request in careful words, 'I wish to return all those I mistakenly removed to the place from which I took them.'

A kind, almost motherly smile hovered on Hecate's lips. 'As you wish, so mote it be.'

* * *

Kensi blinked, shock holding her immobile. They were back where they'd started, in the car, on stakeout. _God_, hadn't she just... she put her hands to her cheeks, expecting to find them stiff with dried tears. But her skin was soft and warm, her eyes unswollen. Swamped by a vast sense of confusion and unreality, she was grateful to be sitting down. Her gaze cut to the left, to Deeks, when he coughed once, sharply, then took a deep, relieved breath. He had the look of a man suddenly released from great pain.

'Hello, you guys there?', came Nell's voice over the com. Kensi put a hand to her ear, surprised to find her earbud in place. She looked down to find herself wearing the same clothes she'd had on before they'd been abducted. So did Deeks, she noted. He even still had a soda, though it was safely in the cup holder.

Bemused, Kensi responded automatically, 'Yes, we're here Nell.'

'You cut out for a minute,' Nell replied. 'Is everything okay?'

'We're good,' Deeks stated, but looked at her as if it were a question. His eyes were as wide and confused as hers. Had any of that really happened? Then, movement caught his eye. 'Whoops, our perps are on the move. We're on it.' He started the car, and prepared to follow.

On the radio, Nickelback sang, '..._I'm holding on to heaven_...', and as one, their fingers stabbed out to change the station.

* * *

Sam and Dean staggered back as they awoke to the reality of the cemetary. The pedestal they'd been standing on had disappeared, along with the artifact itself. They looked at each other in a state of shock, then Dean choked out, 'Sammy' and they were hugging, hard.

Castiel didn't know what the brothers had experienced during Hecate's trials, but it had clearly been traumatic. He wondered at himself, that he'd ever chosen a course of action that would put them through something like that, but couldn't clearly remember the reasons he'd had at the time. He frowned, his memory had always been impeccable, why...?

A large, warm head butting against his hip broke him from his thoughts. Castiel looked down at the big dog beside him, which was pushing its head up under his hand, demanding that he pet it. He stroked the broad head, and ran his hand down its back. Its tongue lolled out, and it gave a sudden, happy bark.

Dean sprang back from his brother, once again automatically reaching for a weapon. Crowley chuckled, delighted, 'Don't get your panties in a twist, Deanie. Not all dogs chase squirrels.'

Dean scowled, unamused. 'Crowley. When did you get here?'

'You think I'd miss the show? Not on your life.' He looked around, noting that while the NCIS teams were gone, the Leviathan remained. Had that blasted angel somehow managed to screw this up, too? 'Castiel, what have you done?'

'Worry not, demon. The Leviathan are once more confined to Purgatory.' Castiel looked over at the Leviathan that had offended Hecate, 'All but that one, which is to be punished for all eternity, forced to take the place it temporarily usurped.'

Both the dog next to Castiel and the one standing by Crowley left their places, and approached the now alarmed Leviathan. They lowered their heads and growled menacingly, and he clutched at his head, moaning in sudden pain. Then he morphed into the form of a Rottweiler himself, though a pathetic, drooping, shaky one.

One of the dogs darted in and ripped at his ear, and he stared, stunned, as red drops of blood splattered on the ground. He shook his head and whined, clearly feeling the pain of the torn flesh. The other two lunged at him in tandem, and galvanized, he took off, closely chased by the snarling hounds. The three of them disappeared into the darkness.

'Ha! Run, you bastard,' Crowley called after them. 'I hope the pack rips you to shreds every night for the next thousand years, before you learn your place!' Well satisfied with the night's events, Crowley also took his leave.

Sam, Dean, and Castiel stood alone in the once-more quiet night, surrounded by a ring of flickering torches. 'What the hell happened, Cas?', Dean asked. 'Where are the others? Did they get to ask Hecate to send them home?'

'I spoke with the goddess on their behalf. I asked that she return all those I had mistakenly taken from their place.'

Dean gasped with horror, 'Holy crap, Cas! She might have put me back in hell!'

'No, Dean. I made no mistake when I raised you from perdition. It was the single best thing I have done in all of my existence.' He strode right up to Dean, well within his personal space, and stared him straight in the eye. 'And if she had done so, I would have followed you down, and done everything in my power to free you once again.' He paused, making sure he had Dean's full attention. 'I will always come for you, Dean.'

Castiel disappeared, leaving Dean standing gape-mouthed. Sam looked at the dumbfounded expression on his brother's face and rolled his eyes. Great, the damned angel had done it again. Honestly, nothing threw Dean emotionally more, or more often, than Castiel. And now Dean was going to be as broody as a 16-year-old girl for the foreseeable future.

Sam gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder, and turned to head back to the parking lot. 'Come on, Princess. You can moon over your boyfriend on your own time.' That earned him a glare, and a bitch-slap to the back of the head, but he couldn't help but grin. He was just so damn glad his brother was still alive.

When they reached the car, they found it to be the only one in the lot. It seemed that all evidence of the NCIS teams having ever been there had been erased. But, they would not soon be forgotten.

Dean slid behind the wheel of the Impala. 'I'm too wired to sleep. You got any leads on our next hunt?'

'Ah, yeah. Garth mentioned that he could use some help when we were done here; head south, to Texas. Um, do you suppose...?'

'What?'

'Well, you always hear about wishes coming in threes, and we know that's Hecate's number. Do you think there are still two more wishes available for the asking?'

'Huh, good point. I guess we can ask Cas, next time he shows up.'

As Dean drove, Sam started looking for a decent radio station. He stopped when he came across a Nine Inch Nails song.

_'...I don't believe it, I had to see it, I came back haunted, I came back haunted, I said goodbye, but I, I had to try, I came back haunted, c-c-came back haunted...' _

'Dude,' Dean complained, 'kill that techno crap.'

Sam smiled, recognizing a bratty little brother opportunity. He settled comfortably into his seat, and prepared to wind his brother up. 'Come on, Dean. Trent Reznor is a musical genius. He even won an Oscar!'

And the argument was on...

* * *

**AN: So, that concludes my first attempt at a full-length story, as well as my first foray into the Supernatural world. I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. My most sincere thanks to those who've commented and encouraged me along the way.**

**You'll note that I didn't write any follow-up to Sam and Callen's experience during the trials. I figured that Sam, being secure in his warrior identity, would have been able to cope with his choice. Callen would be in for some soul-searching, but I don't think he'd share what he went through with Sam. **

**I'm leaving it up to the readers to decide if Callen, Sam, Kensi and Deeks ever choose to discuss their adventures with Dean and Sam, amongst themselves. Or if Dean and Sam ever tell each another about what they went through during Hecate's test.**

**For those who aren't familiar with NCIS L.A., there are two episodes of Season 4 that follow the point in time in which this story takes place. In the first, Parley, Kensi is forced to cope with jealousy when Deeks goes undercover, and gets far too close for her comfort to another woman. Then, in the season finale, Deeks bites the bullet and makes his move. He kisses Kensi! But then he promptly gets himself captured by Sidorov, and is being tortured when last we see him. I am waiting with bated breath for the Season 5 premiere on Tuesday, to find out what happens! **

**Oh, and as to what Sam and Dean get up to after this? Well, they try to close the Gates of Hell, which requires a different set of trials. The first entails killing a hellhound, and yup, Crowley is pissed!**

**I won't mark this story complete just yet. As the ****Latin term for a place where three roads meet is trivia (tri + via), and Hecate's Roman counterpart is the goddess Trivia****, I thought it would be appropriate to add a chapter detailing the literary, TV, movie, and song references I used. In due time, of course, I'll first have to review what I wrote, and compile the data. And, I'd also now like to take some time, and read some of the wonderful fanfiction stories other people have written. Hopefully, the muse will visit me again someday. Until then, adieu. :-)**


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